Spontaneous perforation of the extrahepatic bile duct in an infant.

A 1.2-year-old male presented with gradual-onset biliary ascites, mild icterus, and failure to thrive due to spontaneous bile-duct perforation (SPBD) confirmed by technetium 99Tc HIDA scan and abdominal paracentesis. Peritoneal tube drainage for 2 weeks helped the perforation to seal spontaneously, as there was no distal obstruction. No surgery was needed. Only less than 100 cases of SPBD have been reported in the English literature. The pathogenesis and treatment options are reviewed and discussed.