The coming of age of a young subspecialty: paediatric hepatology.
Paediatric hepatology dates from the 1970s and it is the youngest of the organ-specific subspecialties. As then there have been impressive achievements in the fields of anatomical, metabolic, immunological and neoplastic diseases, and the advent of modern molecular biology has resulted in a marked increase in exact diagnoses. Liver transplants provided enormous stimulus for the discipline. Due to changing morbidity patterns, the discipline faces new challenges, such as environment- and lifestyle-induced liver diseases, but different forms of chronic viral hepatitis are diminishing.


CONCLUSIONS
High levels of competence require good clinical research, optimal results and a high degree of centralisation.
Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital ALB Childrens' Hospital-Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
Antal
A
Németh
D002648:Child; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000266:history*
Environmental factors; Lifestyle factor; Liver transplants; Morbidity patterns; Paediatric hepatology