HEPATO-GASTROENTEROLOGY, vol.50, no.54, pp.1811-1813, 2003 (SCI-Expanded)
Background/Aims: The clinical presentation of cholestasis in infancy caused by neonatal hepatitis and biliary atresia are very similar. Differential diagnosis is sometimes very difficult. The diagnostic accuracy is very important. The surgical treatment of biliary atresia should be performed as early as possible. If cases of biliary atresia. are misdiagnosed, they will become progressive cirrhosis and if cases of neonatal hepatitis are misdiagnosed, they will result in unnecessary laparotomy. The aim of this study is to determine the role of quantitative analysis of ductus proliferation, proliferative activity, Kupffer cell proliferation and angiogenesis in the differential diagnosis of biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis.