Biochemical Profile of Biliary Tract Dilatation on Ultrasound in a tertiary Hospital in Delta State Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Correlative Study.

Background: Biliary tract dilatation is an important sonographic finding that frequently indicates underlying obstruction within the hepatobiliary system. Although ultrasonography effectively demonstrates structural abnormalities of the biliary tract, liver function tests provide complementary biochemical evidence of hepatobiliary dysfunction. The relationship between sonographic biliary abnormalities and biochemical liver derangement remains clinically important for diagnosis, disease severity assessment, and management, particularly in resource-limited settings where advanced imaging modalities may not be readily available. Objective: The study aimed to evaluatethe association betweenbiliary tract dilatation detected on ultrasound and liver function test abnormalities. In addition, the study explored correlations between other sonographic hepatic findings and biochemical markers of liver dysfunction. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional analytical study involving 338 patients who underwent abdominal ultrasonography and liver functiontesting within the study period.Ultrasound examinations were reviewed for the presence of biliary tract dilatation, liver enlargement, irregular liver outline, steatosis, liver masses, and ascites. Biochemical parameters analyzed included aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, total protein, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation and independent t-tests. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: Patients with biliary tract dilatation demonstrated significantly elevated AST, ALT, GGT,ALP, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels compared with patients without biliary dilatation. Most comparisonsachieved highly significant p-values below 0.001.Liver size demonstrated significant positive correlation with ALP, GGT, and AST levels. Irregular liver outline was significantly associated with elevated cholestatic and hepatocellular markers.Liver masses were associated with marked biochemical derangement, while ascites demonstrated significant association with elevated ALP and reduced albumin levels. Conclusion: Biliary tract dilatation detected on ultrasound demonstrates a strongassociation with biochemical evidence of cholestatic and hepatocellular dysfunction. The study reinforces the close relationship between structural hepatobiliary abnormalities and biochemical liver derangement and supports the combined use of ultrasonography and liver function tests in the evaluation of hepatobiliary disease.