Recent advancements in laboratory screening, diagnosis, and prognosis of biliary atresia: a literature review

Biliary atresia (BA) is a neonatal cholangiopathy associated with fibrotic obliteration of the extrahepatic biliary tree leading to profound cholestasis and progressive liver failure (1,2). The incidence of BA is variable, estimated to range from 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 18,000 live births, and is more common in Taiwan, China, and Japan (3-6). Although relatively rare, BA is the most common cause of liver failure in children and is the leading indication for pediatric liver transplant (5,7-11). Unfortunately, without treatment, BA is universally lethal by 2 years of age (6,12). Aside from liver transplantation, the only treatment for BA is the Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE), a surgical procedure Review Article