PREVALENCE AND ULTRASONOGRAPHIC PHENOTYPES OF BILIARY TRACT INJURY IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE AND PREGNANT WOMEN WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy increases the risk of biliary stasis and gallbladder dysmotility, predisposing to biliary sludge and gallstones. A systematic review and meta-analysis reported a global prevalence of gallstones in pregnancy of approximately 3.6% (95% CI: 1.9–6.7). [1] Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may modify hepatobiliary ultrasound patterns through inflammatory parenchymal changes and hepatitis-associated gallbladder wall edema, making interpretation challenging because gallbladder wall thickening is a common yet nonspecific finding also observed in viral hepatitis. [2]
Objective: To synthesize evidence on biliary abnormalities relevant to pregnant and reproductive-age women with CHB and to propose a standardized ultrasound reporting framework.
Methods: Narrative review integrating contemporary hepatology guidance for hepatitis B management and recent imaging literature on pregnancy-related liver and biliary disease and ultrasound criteria for cholecystitis and cholestasis. [3–5]
Conclusions: In CHB, pregnancy-related biliary stasis can coexist with hepatitis-associated gallbladder wall edema. A phenotype-based ultrasound report (stasis, lithogenic, inflammatory, obstructive, hepatitis-associated edema) combined with targeted laboratory tests supports safer and more specific clinical decision-making and improves comparability across studies.