[Viral infection and obstructive cholangiography in children]

In the last years it has been suggested that idiopathic obstructive cholangiopathy is a pathologic process with evolutive studies: extrahepatic biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis. The possibility of a viral agent as the inciting factor has been investigated. This report shows four male and one female with confirmed idiopathic obstructive cholangiopathy with different clinical picture. There was evidence of cytomegalovirus infection in two patients, rubella infection in one patient, hepatitis B virus infection in one patient and Epstein-Barr virus infection in one patient. While other causes of neonatal cholestasis were excluded, we suggest that those viruses has an etiologic role in the initial injury and the progression of the disease.