title: [Budd-Chiari syndrome in children. Apropos of 7 cases].
abstract: Seven cases of Budd-Chiari syndrome are reported in children. The mode of onset was fulminant in one case with rapidly lethal liver failure, acute in 5 cases with rapid appearance of hepatomegaly and ascites and insidious in one case, with isolated hepatomegaly. Hepatomegaly, which is a constant sign, was present in the 7 patients. Ascites and collateral venous circulation were present in 6, splenomegaly in 2 and moderate jaundice in one only. Liver function tests, deeply abnormal in the patient with fulminant liver failure, was only slightly abnormal in the 6 others. Diagnosis was corroborated by ultrasonography, cavography, hepatic veins angiography and liver biopsy in 6 patients and by post mortem examination in the 7th. Etiologic investigations did not allow finding the cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome. However, this series can be distinguished by associated total villous atrophy in 3 cases, psoriasis in one, hepatitis B in one, hepatitis A and intestinal giardiasis in one. Portasystemic shunts were performed in 3 patients. One died in the immediate postoperative period, the 2 others are presently in good health with a 5 and 6 1/2 year-follow-up. One patient died rapidly from fulminant liver failure. Another, untreated, died 16 years after the onset of the disease, from an unknown cause. Two patients are lost to follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital d'Enfants, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boudhina
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghram
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Becher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lakhoua
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ayachi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammou-Jeddi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Ghachem
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bennaceur
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamza
mesh_terms: D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Le syndrome de Budd-Chiari chez l'enfant. A propos de 7 observations.