Zongjie Weng1, Luyao Zhou2, Qiumei Wu1, Wenying Zhou2, Hong Ma3, Yifan Fang4, Tingting Dang1, Min Liu5. 1. Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 18 Daoshan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. 2. Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No 58, Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. 3. Department of Pathology, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 18 Daoshan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. 4. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 18 Daoshan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. 5. Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 18 Daoshan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. liumin66fjfy@163.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To prospectively assess whether the detection of hepatic hilar lymph nodes (LNs) contributes to the diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA). METHODS: A total of 80 jaundiced infants were enrolled in this study and had abdominal ultrasound (US). The hepatic hilar LNs, the gallbladder classification, and the triangular cord (TC) thickness of all infants were evaluated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, t tests, and chi-squared tests were used to compare US signs between infants with BA and those without BA. RESULTS: BA was found in 45 patients and excluded in 35 patients. The length of the hepatic hilar LNs in infants with BA (median with interquartile range, 11 mm (8, 13.5)) was significantly greater than that in infants without BA (0 mm (0, 0)) (p < 0.001). The AUROCs of the enlarged hepatic hilar LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness were 0.867, 0.894, and 0.832, respectively. The accuracy of LNs (87.5%) in the diagnosis of BA was close to that of the gallbladder classification scheme (88.8%) (p = 0.049) and was higher than that of the TC thickness (82.5%) (p = 0.031). The enlarged LNs had the highest sensitivity (93.3%) in distinguishing BA from non-BA. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of enlarged hepatic hilar LNs is an additional highly sensitive sign for the noninvasive diagnosis of BA. Through the combination of enlarged LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness, most BA could be identified. KEY POINTS: • An enlarged hepatic hilar LN is an additional US sign for the noninvasive diagnosis of biliary atresia. • Combining enlarged hepatic hilar LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness, BA could be diagnosed in most infants.
OBJECTIVES: To prospectively assess whether the detection of hepatic hilar lymph nodes (LNs) contributes to the diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA). METHODS: A total of 80 jaundicedinfants were enrolled in this study and had abdominal ultrasound (US). The hepatic hilar LNs, the gallbladder classification, and the triangular cord (TC) thickness of all infants were evaluated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, t tests, and chi-squared tests were used to compare US signs between infants with BA and those without BA. RESULTS: BA was found in 45 patients and excluded in 35 patients. The length of the hepatic hilar LNs in infants with BA (median with interquartile range, 11 mm (8, 13.5)) was significantly greater than that in infants without BA (0 mm (0, 0)) (p < 0.001). The AUROCs of the enlarged hepatic hilar LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness were 0.867, 0.894, and 0.832, respectively. The accuracy of LNs (87.5%) in the diagnosis of BA was close to that of the gallbladder classification scheme (88.8%) (p = 0.049) and was higher than that of the TC thickness (82.5%) (p = 0.031). The enlarged LNs had the highest sensitivity (93.3%) in distinguishing BA from non-BA. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of enlarged hepatic hilar LNs is an additional highly sensitive sign for the noninvasive diagnosis of BA. Through the combination of enlarged LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness, most BA could be identified. KEY POINTS: • An enlarged hepatic hilar LN is an additional US sign for the noninvasive diagnosis of biliary atresia. • Combining enlarged hepatic hilar LNs, gallbladder classification, and TC thickness, BA could be diagnosed in most infants.