Spontaneous perforation of the common bile-duct in the neonate: imaging and treatment.

The presence of bile in the peritoneal cavity and obstructive jaundice without liver derangement in the neonatal period is pathognomonic of spontaneous perforation of the bile-ducts. These features can be demonstrated preoperatively with ultrasound, nuclide imaging and liver function tests, without recourse to paracentesis, and the risk of contaminating the bile ascites. Furthermore, the presence of isotope in the general peritoneal cavity will exclude the diagnosis of a choledochal cyst so that jejunum should not be anastamosed to the 'false capsule' of a spontaneous perforation.