How Is Biliary Atresia Diagnosed?
To start, a health history will be taken and a physical exam done. The following tests may then be done: • Blood tests can reveal signs of liver disease. • Ultrasound helps rule out some causes of abnormal blood test results. During this test, harmless sound waves are used to form an image of the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and blood vessels feeding the liver. • A HIDA scan checks the function of the bile ducts. A radioactive fluid (marker) is put into the body. As this marker travels through the bile ducts to the intestines, it can be seen on a scan. The marker can show whether bile ducts are missing or blocked. • Liver biopsy detects signs of damage in liver tissue. It can also sometimes point to the cause of the damage. During this test, a small hollow needle is used to remove a tiny amount of tissue from the liver. This tissue is studied in the lab. • Intraoperative cholangiogram is a procedure that may be needed if a diagnosis can’t be made based on other test results. A surge
