Biliary atresia overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Biliary atresia, is a congenital or acquired disease of the liver and one of the principal forms of chronic rejection of a transplanted liver allograft. In the congenital form, the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent. The acquired type most often occurs in the setting of autoimmune disease, and is one of the principal forms of chronic rejection of a transplanted liver allograft.
Causes
There is no known cause of biliary atresia.
Epidemiology and Demograhpics
Biliary atresia is a very rare disorder. About one in 10,000 to 20,000 babies in the U.S are affected every year. Biliary atresia seems to affect girls slightly more often than boys. Within the same family, it is common for only one child in a pair of twins or only one child within the same family to have it. Asians and African-Americans are affected more frequently than Caucasians. There does not appear to be any link to medications or immunizations given immediately before or during pregnancy.