Hepatopatía crónica en niños. Justificación para un programa de transplante hepático infantil

Abstract

Children may be affected by various diseases that can result, at short or long term, in acute or chronic liver failure. Liver transplant is the only therapeutic option available in these patients. In most major transplant centers, biliary atresia is the main indication for liver transplantation in children. Children affected with biliary atresia become symptomatic in the neonatal period and may require transplantation as early as at 18 months, while other diseases that manifest later in life require transplantation at later ages. In this report we present our experience with chronic liver diseases in childhood that required transplantation in a specialized service located in a third level hospital in Medellín, Colombia, over a period of 6 years (January 1990 to December 1996).