ABSTRACT
Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children has been recently described in the literature, and a case definition has also been proposed for this condition. The exact etiology is unknown and exclusion of infectious, metabolic, autoimmune and toxin mediated injuries is essential. Management for this condition is supportive, but some may require liver transplantation. Infection prevention and control practices are important as the etiology remains unidentified.
ABSTRACT
Background: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease is increasing in the pediatric population worldwide. Need and purpose of review: There is paucity of high quality scientific data regarding pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Most of the guidelines are offshoots of work done in adults, which have been adapted over time to diagnose and treat pediatric patients. This is in part related to the small numbers in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and less extensive collaboration for multicentric trials both nationally and internationally. Methods: A literature search was performed using electronic databases i.e. Pubmed and OVID, using keywords: pediatric, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, epidemiology and guidelines. This article amalgamates the broad principles of diagnosing and managing a child with suspected inflammatory bowel disease. Main conclusions: 25% of the patients with inflammatory bowel disease are children and and young adolescents. The primary concern is its impact on growth velocity, puberty and quality of life, including psychosocial issues. Treatment guidelines are being re-defined as the drug armamentarium is increasing. The emphasis will be to achieve mucosal healing and normal growth velocity with minimal drug toxicity.