Pediatria pre prax 5/2001
Hepatomegalie v dětském věku
Hepatomegaly in childhood Hepatomegaly is a frequent and sole manifestation of liver diseases in childhood. Noninvasive ultrasonography can provide sufficient information about liver and spleen enlargement and about bile ducts. This investigation is easy accessible currently in outpatient care. The paper reports on acute and chronic liver infections, autoimmune hepatitis and benign, malignant and metastatic liver tumors covered by differential diagnosis of hepatomegaly. More rare liver diseases associated with enlargement of liver are reported, some of them being typical at a certain period of childhood. The major part of the paper is devoted to inborn metabolic diseases (IMD) in which hepatomegaly is an important component of manifestation. Although the frequency of particular IMD is very low, occurence of metabolic diseaeses is surprisingly frequent. Correct diagnostic approach of a pediatrician can hasten determination of diagnosis and favorably influence prognosis in some liver diseases. Key words: hepatomegaly, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, liver tumors, inherited metabolic diseases.
