[Study of biliary tract atresia with HIDA Tc 99]

This report has been motivated to assess the permeability of portoenterostomy with isotopic methods (HIDA Tc 99) in two cases of biliary tract atresia. Both cases have followed a good evolution during 1 1/2 and 8 years respectively, with vanishing of the icterus and achieving an acceptable biliary flow. We used the hepatic gammagraphy with HIDA Tc 99 to evaluate biliary drainage and functional status of biliary tract. Also we used other classical biochemical parameters. This isotope is useful to evaluate the effectiveness of portoenterostomy by the amount and quality of biliary flow, and specially drainage ducts. Actually this method is the safest as compared to all the others, specially transparietohepatic cholangiography. The special characteristics os this isotope and the quality of the records allow the study of both function and structure of hepatic parenchyma through the curves activity/time. This curve measures between the periphery of hepatogram and porta hepatis follows a parallel course to bilirubin clearance. By all that we think that this method, with serial determinations, can be a precise parameter of surgical intervention, and it is useful as a early indicator of bad course, allowing an evaluation of cholangitis and the indication to reintervention.