LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF CHRONIC DELTA-HEPATITIS IN CHILDREN

Twenty-three children, aged 3 to 15 years, with chronic delta hepatiti s have been followed for 5 to 12 years to evaluate long-term outcome. Although 83% of patients had chronic active hepatitis when first seen, with cirrhosis in 26%, the clinical and biochemical features of the d isease remained reasonably stable during observation; liver histologic findings, obtained in 14 patients, worsened in only two.