Portosystemic shunt, a rare cause of neonatal cholestatic hepatitis. A case report

Abstract

Congenital portosystemic shunt is a venous vascular abnormality that connects portal and systemic circulation, resulting in diversion of the blood flow, bypassing the hepatic passage. It is a rare malformation; its incidence varies from 1:30 000 to 1:50 000 newborns. It may be asymptomatic or present with complications in the pediatric age or, less frequently, in the neonatal age. Upon diagnosis, the need for a surgical or an intravascular intervention for closure should be defined. This decision depends on the malformation anatomical characteristics, clinical manifestations, and complications. We present the case of a 1-month-old patient referred to our center for the study of neonatal cholestatic hepatitis, with a diagnosis of extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. Intravascular closure of the defect was performed with significant subsequent improvement.