Comparison of the current characteristics and management of congenital biliary dilatation with and without a fetal diagnosis: report of 231 consecutive cases from the Kyushu Pediatric Surgery Study Group in Japan over the past decade.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate and to compare the current characteristics and management of congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) with and without fetal diagnosis (FD) based on a multicenter study at all institutions in Kyushu, Japan.

METHODS

A regional multicenter study was conducted among the institutions affiliated with the Kyushu Pediatric Surgery Study Group. Patients with CBD who underwent definitive surgery between 2014 and 2023 were enrolled.

RESULTS

All 28 affiliated institutions joined this multicenter study. There comprised 231 cases (Date collection rate: 100%), including 35 cases (15.2%) with an FD. Compared to cases without an FD, cases with an FD were significantly more frequently recognized in type Ia (p < 0.01), significantly less frequently recognized in type Ic (p = 0.04), and IV-A (p < 0.01), and showed a significantly lower frequency of preoperative cholangitis (p < 0.01) and pancreatitis (p < 0.01). Cases with an FD had significantly shorter operative times (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the frequency of postoperative and late postoperative complications between the patients with and without an FD.

CONCLUSION

CBD cases with an FD were more likely to be type Ia and less likely to have preoperative symptoms than those without an FD, with a comparable risk of postoperative complications.