Sanjiv Harpavat, MD, PhD

Biliary Atresia Fund for the Cure Pilot Research Award
$50,000 over one year

Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital

Assessment of an Ultrasound Approach to Visualize the “Duct at the Hilum” in Infants Undergoing Evaluation for Biliary Atresia

This proposal addresses the problem of delayed diagnoses in biliary atresia. Infants with biliary atresia who are diagnosed and treated before 30 days of life have the best outcomes; however, in the United States, infants are treated after 60 days of life on average. These delays explain in part why biliary atresia is the #1 reason for liver transplant in children. To help accelerate diagnoses, we have developed a new, simple 4 step ultrasound approach that visualize the “duct at the hilum” or DaH. The DaH is a segment of the extrahepatic bile duct that is abnormal in biliary atresia. Through a single-site study, we previously found that the 4 step approach identifies infants who may have biliary atresia. We also found that the approach efficiently excludes infants who do not have biliary atresia. We now propose assessing the approach on a larger scale, by studying how it performs in various healthcare sites that differ in patient population, region, and ultrasound practice.