Hepatic histology and the development of esophageal varices in biliary atresia.

Histological features in liver biopsy specimens taken from 71 infants at the time of surgery for biliary atresia (portoenterostomy) were analyzed using a scoring system and compared with an endoscopic grading of esophageal varices performed at a mean age of 3.4 years. The analysis showed no correlation between a "global" score, which represented the severity of all histological changes in the original biopsy specimen, and the severity of esophageal varices. Further analysis also showed no correlation with any individual histological feature (eg, fibrosis). These findings failed to confirm a previous study, which suggested a relationship between liver changes at surgery and the later development of esophageal varices in children with biliary atresia.