Various types of cholestatic jaundice in infants--causes and diagnostic problems.

The purpose of this review was to evaluate possible differentiation between various causes of different types of cholestatic jaundice in children. Analyses were performed in 33 infants from 3 weeks to 3.5 years old with symptoms of cholestatic jaundice. The most frequent causes of cholestasis were congenital atresia of extrahepatic bile ducts (30%) and the CMV infection (20%). On the basis of the performed examinations it should be concluded that in order to differentiate between the causes of cholestatic jaundice it is necessary to do a series of tests as there is no specific diagnostic method which would be effective.