SUMMARY
Background: Idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) is the term
given to any hepatitis that occurs from birth up to the 4th
month of life and remains etiologically unclassified after
clinical and laboratory evaluation. Our purpose was to find
symptoms, natural history or factors associated with hepatobiliary
disease in infancy and long term prognosis of nonfamilial
type of INH. Methods: We followed up 33 cases of
INH over a period of 12 years. Features of INH included: a)
presence of conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia ?3mg% lasting
for more than 2 weeks during the first 4 months of life,
b) biochemical and histological features of hepatocellular
damage and c) exclusion of all other causes of conjugated
hyperbilirubinaemia. Results: Jaundice was developed in all
but one child. The liver was palpable in all patients and
spleen was present in nineteen patients. Twelve patients
with severe anemia (Hb
(EN)
Medical and Health Sciences ▶ Clinical Medicine Gastroenterology
(EN)
Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology
