Autoimmune hepatitis in children: a report of two cases.
Basir N,
Yew TG,
Telisinghe PU,
Chong VH.
Singapore Med J.
2011 Feb;52(2):e27-30
In regions where chronic hepatitis B infections are still endemic, autoimmune
hepatitis (AIH) is considered rare, and it is even rarer in the paediatric
population. AIH in the paediatric population is categorised into type 1 and 2,
which are differentiated by their autoantibody profiles. We present two cases of
paediatric type 1 AIH. Two girls aged 11 and 15 years were referred to our
hospital with chronic liver disease, one of whom had decompensated disease. Both
patients were started on prednisolone. The patient with advanced liver disease
died from complications due to infections that included the pandemic novel
influenza A H1N1, while the other patient responded to treatment. These two
cases serve to highlight the importance of considering AIH in any paediatric
patient presenting with features of chronic liver disease, as the response to
treatment is good.
Correspondence:
Chong VH.
Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital,
Bandar Seri Begawan, BA 1710, Brunei Darussalam.
chongvuih@yahoo.co.uk.
