Title: ROLE OF PERCUTANEOUS LIVER BIOPSY IN INFANTILE CHOLESTASIS:
COHORT FROM ARABS
Version: 1 Date: 09 Nov 2020
Reviewer:  Hironori Kusano
Reviewer's report:
The authors assessed the impact of liver biopsy (LB) in the evaluation of infantile cholestasis
and concluded that LB has high diagnostic yield in case of high suspicion of biliary atresia (BA)
and low yield in low suspicion of BA. Their patient cohort is unique and the number of cases is
high enough for sufficient assessment. The study design is very clear.
Comments;
Draw a diagram of inclusion and exclusion criteria in the study. It must be helpful for readers.
The authors should provide the diagnosis for the patients who did not undergo LB.
The authors are confusing “bile plug” with “bile duct plug”.
Currently “ballooning” is closely attached with NASH. I recommend the use of the term
“swelling”.
The quality of histological images is not good enough for publication. For example, Fig. 3A is
too small to identify the ductules.
The authors should show the bile duct proliferation and bile plugs in the figure, which were
strong indicators for BA in the study.
Add scale bar in the figure.
Title: ROLE OF PERCUTANEOUS LIVER BIOPSY IN INFANTILE CHOLESTASIS:
COHORT FROM ARABS
Version: 1 Date: 09 Nov 2020
Reviewer:  Hironori Kusano
Reviewer's report:
The authors assessed the impact of liver biopsy (LB) in the evaluation of infantile cholestasis
and concluded that LB has high diagnostic yield in case of high suspicion of biliary atresia (BA)
and low yield in low suspicion of BA. Their patient cohort is unique and the number of cases is
high enough for sufficient assessment. The study design is very clear.
Comments;
Draw a diagram of inclusion and exclusion criteria in the study. It must be helpful for readers.
The authors should provide the diagnosis for the patients who did not undergo LB.
The authors are confusing “bile plug” with “bile duct plug”.
Currently “ballooning” is closely attached with NASH. I recommend the use of the term
“swelling”.
The quality of histological images is not good enough for publication. For example, Fig. 3A is
too small to identify the ductules.
The authors should show the bile duct proliferation and bile plugs in the figure, which were
strong indicators for BA in the study.
Add scale bar in the figure.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: ROLE OF PERCUTANEOUS LIVER BIOPSY IN INFANTILE CHOLESTASIS:
COHORT FROM ARABS
Version: 1 Date: 09 Nov 2020
Reviewer:  Hironori Kusano
Reviewer's report:
The authors assessed the impact of liver biopsy (LB) in the evaluation of infantile cholestasis
and concluded that LB has high diagnostic yield in case of high suspicion of biliary atresia (BA)
and low yield in low suspicion of BA. Their patient cohort is unique and the number of cases is
high enough for sufficient assessment. The study design is very clear.
Comments;
Draw a diagram of inclusion and exclusion criteria in the study. It must be helpful for readers.
The authors should provide the diagnosis for the patients who did not undergo LB.
The authors are confusing “bile plug” with “bile duct plug”.
Currently “ballooning” is closely attached with NASH. I recommend the use of the term
“swelling”.
The quality of histological images is not good enough for publication. For example, Fig. 3A is
too small to identify the ductules.
The authors should show the bile duct proliferation and bile plugs in the figure, which were
strong indicators for BA in the study.
Add scale bar in the figure.
assistant