Extrahepatic biliary atresia. Recent developments in management.

Conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia in infancy is always pathological and biliary atresia or choledochal cyst should be suspected if such jaundice persists for more than 2 weeks even if evidence of intrauterine infection, such as cytomegalovirus, has been found. Recent studies have suggested that a laparotomy to confirm or exclude a diagnosis of biliary atresia should be performed in all infants with conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia by 60 days of age providing (1) all known metabolic causes of neonatal hepatitis