Abstract
In order to investigate frequency and extent of liver damage in children with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) we followed 34 patients with ulcerative colitis(UC) and 12 with Crohn's disease(CD). The children were followed prospectively from onset of disease whereby clinical and biochemical activity was compared to liver function tests(LET). The liver damage was assessed according to LFT and biopsy was performed in all cases with LFT elevated above 3 times normal levels. In UC the liver damage was not related to duration and/or extent:
The signs of damage were permanent in only 1 case. No relation was found to treatment and relapses. No correlation was found between LFT and other laboratory tests. Biopsy in the 7 cases with suspected severe damage showed cirrhosis(1), cholangitis(2), chronic aggressive hepatitis(1), steatosis(1) and minor changes(2 cases). In CD 4 of the 12 patients had signs of mild liver damage, which could not be related to activity or duration of the disease or treatment.
It is concluded that there seems to be a high risk of liver damage in childhood IBD and that severe forms seem to occur at the time of onset or early in the course of the disease.
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Nemeth, A., Ejderhamn, J. & Strandvik, B. LIVER DAMAGE IN JUVENILE INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. Pediatr Res 20, 703 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00105
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00105