Question
What is Congenital Biliary Atresia?
Answer
The cause of neonatal biliary atresia is the gradual fibrosis of the common bile duct, leading to obstruction of the biliary system. Most cases of biliary atresia do not present with clinical symptoms until several weeks after birth. It can also occur after an extrahepatic bile duct infection. After fibrosis, it is rarely detected in the neonatal or fetal period. Although specific viral infections have been reported, no definitive source of infection has been identified. Biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis syndrome are a long process of pathological changes rather than a specific pathological process. Both diseases usually appear within two weeks after birth with high bilirubinemia, clay-colored stools, and liver enlargement. Children aged 3 to 2 years may experience slow growth, skin itching, and may be accompanied by portal hypertension.