RT Book, Section A1 Romero, José R. A1 O'Connor, Judith A. A2 Bishop, Warren P. SR Print(0) ID 55943206 T1 Chapter 24. Viral Hepatitis T2 Pediatric Practice: Gastroenterology YR 2010 FD 2010 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-163379-6 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=55943206 RD 2024/10/07 AB Infectious hepatitis is a syndrome characterized by injury (inflammation or death) to hepatocytes. The process may be self-limiting or may lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and neoplastic changes. Clinically, the hepatocellular insult is manifested by elevation of serum aminotransferases (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST)). Typically, the alphabetically designated hepatitis viruses (A–G) and, in particular, hepatitis viruses A, B, and C are those generally considered by the clinician when evaluating a child with hepatitis (Table 24–1). However, many other viral agents such as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, West Nile virus, etc., have the potential to infect the liver and cause clinical or subclinical hepatitis (Table 24–1). This chapter will focus on the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses, the major causes of viral hepatitis in children.