Paediatric cholestatic liver disease: Diagnosis, assessment of disease progression and mechanisms of fibrogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Cholestatic liver disease causes significant morbidity and mortality in children. The diagnosis and management of these diseases can be complicated by an inability to detect early stages of fibrosis and a lack of adequate interventional therapy. There is no single gold standard test that accurately reflects the presence of liver disease, or that can be used to monitor fibrosis progression, particularly in conditions such as cystic fibrosis. This has lead to controversy over how suspected liver disease in children is detected and diagnosed. This review discusses the challenges in using commonly available methods to diagnose hepatic fibrosis and monitor disease progression in children with cholestatic liver disease. In addition, the review examines the mechanisms hypothesised to be involved

SUBMITTER: Pereira TN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3097948 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature