All issues > Volume 24(10); 1981

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1981;24(10):991-996. Published online October 15, 1981.

A Case of Chronic Active Hepatitis.

H J Park¹, H K Park¹, H J Chun¹, M J Shin¹, S C Kang²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, Korea.
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Korea.

Abstract

Chronic active hepatitis (CAH) is defined as ongoing inflammation within the liver sustained beyond the expected time of resolution. The etiology of CAH is not completely understood, but hepatitis B infection, drugs such as oxyphenisatin, isoniazid, and alpha-methyldopa, and altered immunity are considered. The most common findings are jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, elevated serum transaminase activities, hypergammaglobulinemia, and positive "autoimmune" serologic tests, such as the LE cell phenomenon, and mitochondrial, smooth muscle, and DNA antibodies. And CAH is predominant in the female. The liver biopsy is essential of diagnosis and characteristic histological findings are piecemeal necrosis and infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes. The remission of CAH could be induced by administration of prednisotone or prednisolone+azathioprine. And relapse is not common in the children. We experienced a case of 11 year old Korean boy who was compatible with chronic active hepatitis in the clinical, biochemical and histological features, and who had beer, treated with oral perdnisolone in successful remission in a year. Also we made a brief review of literatures.

Keywords :Chronic active hepatitis(CAH);Liver biopsy;Prednisolone therapy