How is biliary atresia diagnosed?

How is biliary atresia diagnosed?

To diagnose biliary atresia, the doctor will take the baby’s medical history and perform a physical examination. A pediatric hepatologist, a doctor who specializes in working with children who have liver diseases, may also order certain tests, including:

• Blood tests to check the levels of bilirubin and to look for signs of liver damage
• Ultrasound, a procedure that transmits high-frequency sound waves through body tissues. The echoes are recorded and transformed into images of the internal structures of the body.
• Liver biopsy (the removal of cells or tissue from the liver for examination)
• Hepatobiliary scan, in which a radioactive substance (tracer) is injected into the bloodstream. If the tracer is not excreted through the liver, the patient may have biliary atresia.
• Cholangiogram, a procedure in which dye is injected into the gallbladder to see if it has a main bile duct. If it does not, the doctor can diagnose biliary atresia.