PEDIATRICS Vol. 78 No. 1 July 1986, pp. 182-183
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ESTERLY, J. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by ESTERLY, J. R.

Pathogenesis of Biliary Atresia

JOHN R. ESTERLY MD1

1 Departments of Pathology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637

To the Editor.—

The report of biliary atresia in one identical twin is of interest. As the authors' state, the observation suggests that the malformation may be acquired rather than of genetic origin. Many pediatric pathologists consider biliary atresia an acquired defect in a large, but unknown, proportion of affected patients. The evidence to support the hypothesis is circumstantial. Stages of a presumed continuum from mild periportal inflammation and neonatal hepatitis to obstructive atresia have been found at autopsy in patients with the congenital rubella syndrome.2