Costa F, Marchese L T, Carrilho F J, Komatsu E S, Villari Filho S
Arq Gastroenterol. 1983 Jan-Mar;20(1):24-7.
Twenty-three infants with neonatal cholestasis were examined laparoscopically. The differential diagnosis between biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis was not established by-clinical and laboratory investigations. In 10 out of 23 cases the transcutaneous-transhepatic-cholangiography, performed with laparoscopy demonstrated the permeability of the biliary tree in children that are not suffering from the atresia. The hepatic biopsy by laparoscopic view allowed to complete the investigation in these cases, avoiding unnecessary laparotomy. In infants suffering from biliary atresia the surgery indication was early and exact.