Liver Disorders in Childhood

Liver Disorders in Childhood provides a comprehensive account of disorders of the liver and biliary system in childhood. Topics covered include the mechanisms of physiological jaundice; the link between jaundice and breast feeding; surgery for extrahepatic biliary atresia; the role of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic liver disease; presymptomatic diagnosis of Wilson's disease; liver transplantation; and surgical treatment of metabolic disorders such as glycogen storage disease. The main focus is on day-to-day practical problems of diagnosis and management from the viewpoint of the pediatrician. This book consists of 22 chapters and begins with an overview of the anatomy and physiology of the liver and the biliary tract. The discussion then turns to liver disorders such as conjugated and unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia; extrahepatic biliary atresia; infections of the liver; fulminant hepatic failure; and Reye's syndrome (encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of the viscera). Liver disorders caused by drugs or toxins are also considered, along with inborn errors of metabolism causing hepatomegaly or disordered liver function; familial and genetic structural abnormalities of the liver and biliary system; chronic hepatitis; and Wilson's disease. This monograph is written primarily for clinicians, especially pediatricians, paediatric surgeons and gastroenterologists, but will also be of value to pathologists, biochemists, and laboratory research workers concerned with understanding aspects of hepatic function and elucidating pathogenic mechanisms.