Ultrastructure of intrahepatic biliary canaliculi and prognosis of congenital biliary atresia.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between the ultrastructure of intrahepatic biliary canaliculi and the prognosis of congenital biliary atresia.

METHODS

Liver biopsies from 25 patients who were operated on for congenital biliary atresia were examined under the transmission electron microscope. The relationship between the number of well-developed bile canaliculi and patient prognosis was studied.

RESULTS

The survival rate for 13 patients with well-developed intrahepatic biliary canaliculi and 12 patients with poorly-developed intrahepatic biliary canaliculi were 92.3% (12/13) and 33.3% (4/12) respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Intrahepatic biliary canaliculi ultrastructure could be used as one of the prognostic factors in congenital biliary atresia.