Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1997, 181 (1)

Bone Mineral Analysis in Patients with Biliary Atresia after Successful Kasai Procedure

AKIRA TOKI, TAKUJI TODANI, YASUHIRO WATANABE, YASUHISA SATO, KAORU OGURA, MIKIKO YOSHIKAWA, SAE YAMAMOTO and ZHONG-QIU WANG

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kagawa Medical University, Kagawa 761-07

  • Metabolism is probably disturbed in patients with abnormal liver function who have undergone a successful Kasai procedure. We examined bone mineral metabolism in patients who have successfully undergone Kasai procedure. Bone mineral metabolism was examined in 8 patients with biliary atresia after a successful Kasai procedure. Five patients were female and 3 were male. The ages at Kasai procedure ranged from 50 to 80 days, and the follow-up periods ranged from 3 to 27 years after the operation. All patients eat a normal oral diet. We examined plasma levels of 25-OH-D3, 1, 25-(OH)2-D3, Ca and phosphorus (P). Bone mineral content of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and the data were expressed as a bone mineral density (BMD). Two patients showed abnormal levels on hepatic function tests. Plasma levels of 1,25-(OH)2-D3, Ca, and P were normal in all patients. The level of 25-OH-D3 was normal in 7 patients. BMD levels were normal in 6 patients, but low in 2 who had undergone partial splenic embolization and splenectomy, respectively, due to hypersplenism. In long-term survivors of Kasai procedure, measurement of BMD may detect bone mineral deficiency earlier than measurements of serum levels of 25-OH-D, 1,25-(OH)2-D, Ca and P.
    Key word(s)--- biliary atresia; dual energy x-ray absorptiometry; bone mineral density; vitamin D

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1997, 181, 213-216
    Address for reprints: Akira Toki, M.D., Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kagawa Medical University, 1750-1 Miki, Kitagun, Kagawa 761-07, Japan.

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