Miscellaneous liver diseases in infancy and childhood in several hospitals

ABSTRACT

Most of the liver diseases are different in pediatric age group, as compared to those in adult in many respects. Beside inflammatory, neoplastic and metabolic liver diseases; pediatric liver diseases also exhibit specific features of genetic predisposition, as well as environmental or other acquired diseases. In congenital diseases choledochal cyst, biliary atresia and cholestasis are included. While in environmental or acquired/nutritional diseases, fatty change liver and Kawashiorkor are found. A study is done to overview the miscellaneous congenital and acquired liver diseases in infancy and childhood which are important but less common as compare to inflammatory, metabolic and other liver diseases. Retrospective Study. This study was conducted at Department of Pathology, Basic Medical Science Institute [BMSI], Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from 1995 to 2004. Slides / paraffin blocks of liver biopsies were taken from patients under 15 years of age. The cases were retrospective. The distribution of 100 cases of miscellaneous liver diseases in infancy and childhood were according to age and sex. Total 48 [48%] cases were encountered in the youngest of 0-5 year's age group, 36 [36%] cases in 6-10 years and only 16 [16%] cases in 11-15 years age group. It is observed that the tendency of miscellaneous liver diseases are higher up till 5 years of age and sexual differentiation showing male predominance with male to female ratio of 32. The miscellaneous liver diseases in younger children, may be congenital like biliary atresia, intra hepatic biliary hypoplasia and cholestasis or acquired; like tuberculosis and the Kawashiorkor [malnutrition].These are well known in third world countries and in Pakistan