[Gilbert's syndrome. 3 pediatric cases]

The study includes three pediatrics patients with Gilbert's syndrome (GS). The diagnosis was made on the basis of a mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in the presence of repeatedly normal liver function test and absence of over signs of hyperhaemolysis. Two test have been also proposed for the diagnosis of GS, namely the hyperbilirubinaemia induced by a reduction in caloric intake, and hyperbilirubinaemia induced by nicotinic acid. In this study a reduction in caloric intake was associated with a greater absolute increase in serum bilirubin concentration. A single determination of bilirubin in parents and brothers of patients, showed high bilirubin in only one parent. The possibility of arriving at a definite diagnosis of GS is important both to the frequent presentation in adolescence with nonspecific symptoms that abdominal recurrent pain, the high incidence of the benign syndrome, and also to reassure the "patient".