An outstanding non-transplant surgical intervention in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis: partial internal biliary diversion.

AIM: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a hereditary disease with severe cholestasis progressing to cirrhosis and chronic renal failure usually during the first decade. An alternative approach is partial diversion of bile. The aim of this study is to describe four patients with PFIC who underwent partial internal biliary diversion (PIBD).

METHODS

Review of three patients, their clinical, laboratory and histologic workups to evaluate the short-term effects of PFIC, a 1-year follow-up. For PIBD, a conduit is performed between the terminolateral side of the gall bladder and distal colon using a segment of jejunum, to divert the biliary flow from the enterohepatic cycle without any external stoma.

RESULTS

All four patients were presented with jaundice, pruritus, hepatomegaly, sleep disturbance. They fulfilled the criteria for PFIC. The surgery was uneventful. At follow-up, biochemical parameters improved significantly, growth was regained, relief in pruritus, sleeping pattern was normalized.

CONCLUSIONS

Partial internal biliary diversion had a dramatic effect on cholestasis, growth, sleeping and biochemical parameters. It also avoids the disadvantages of a permanent stoma. We believe that it is one of the best surgical procedures ever described for PFIC. Since long-term results of partial external biliary diversion on liver histopathology are successful, we hope that our long-term results will also be similar.