Recent Clinical Features of Childhood Hepatits A at South-East Area of Kyunggi-do Province

Purpose: Hepatits A virus (HAV) has been the most common cause of liver disease. Increasing symptomatic infection of it has been anticipated in children, but there was no report about it since 2000. The purpose of this study was to know the latest clinical characteristics and proper management of it. Methods: I collected the clinical informations of hepatits A patients who have admitted from January 2002 to December 2007 at Department of Pediatrics, YongIn Severance Hospital, YongIn, Korea. The diagnosis were made by the presence of antiHAV IgM with immunoassay. Their features were reviewed retrospectively. Results: There were twenty two cases. The annual cases were increased from 2002 to 2005 and declined rapidly since then. It was more common in the group of 10 and more years old (77.3% of all cases), male (59.1%), autumn (45.5%) than remainders. Main clinical findings were dark colored urine (90.9%), jaundice (90.9%), hepatomegaly (90.9%), anorexia (86.4%), nausea/vomiting (77.3%), dehydration (72.7%), splenomegaly (54.5%). The mean value of initial serum alanine aminotransferase, asparate aminotransferase, total bilirubin were 1,372 IU/L, 820 IU/L, 5.2 mg/dL respectively. All clinical manifestations were resolved within 6 weeks. There was no complication. Conclusion: The clinical course was benign and its occurrence seemed to increase. The children 10 and over years old were more common than under 10 for hepatits A. Vaccination of HAV should be considered for teens.ope