[Affected liver biochemistry in children with rheumatic diseases]

Children with rheumatic diseases often have elevated liver biochemistry. This can be triggered by medical treatment, e.g. methotrexate can induce liver injury ranging from mild to severe. Autoimmune hepatitis and sclerosing cholangitis are also seen in conjunction with rheumatic diseases, and early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to prevent development of cirrhosis and liver transplantation. Macrophage activation syndrome is a rare but important differential diagnosis as it is a potentially fatal complication to systemic rheumatic diseases, causing liver dysfunction and multi-organ failure.