Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis in Children and Adults: Clinical Manifestations, Management, and Outcome-Case Series and
Beidi Zhu1, Zunguo Du2, Zhengxin Wang3
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Shanghai 200040, China.
Insights
Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF) presents differently in children and adults. Children often experience severe portal hypertension requiring liver transplants, while adults typically have milder liver issues and varied symptoms, necessitating multidisciplinary care.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Genetics
Background:
- Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF) is a hereditary fibropolycystic disease linked to ductal plate malformation.
- CHF commonly causes portal hypertension, with varied clinical presentations, management, and outcomes in pediatric and adult populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical features of congenital hepatic fibrosis in children and adults.
- To enhance medical staff awareness regarding CHF manifestations.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of eight CHF patients (four children, four adults) diagnosed between 2015-2017.
- Review of 53 previously reported Chinese CHF cases (30 children, 33 adults) from the past 20 years, analyzed by age group.
Main Results:
- Children (1-15 years) presented with severe portal hypertension complications necessitating liver transplantation.
- Adults (26-60 years) showed varied presentations, often with mild-to-moderate liver dysfunction and conservative treatment.
- Hepatomegaly was more frequent in children (57%) than adults (21%). Multisystem involvement, including kidneys and bile ducts, was common.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric CHF patients face severe portal hypertension complications, often requiring liver transplantation.
- Adult CHF cases exhibit diverse clinical manifestations and generally milder initial liver injury.
- Multisystem involvement and atypical disease courses aid diagnosis; liver biopsy and multidisciplinary collaboration are vital for early intervention.
Background:
Congenital hepatic fibrosis is a hereditary fibropolycystic disease caused by ductal plate malformation. It is characterized by portal hypertension, but the manifestations, management, and outcome vary in children and adults. To raise awareness of medical staff, we have comprehensively compared the clinical features of congenital hepatic fibrosis between children and adults.
Methods:
We retrospectively enrolled all patients diagnosed with congenital hepatic fibrosis at the Huashan Hospital from August 2015 to August 2017 and analyzed their familial, clinical, laboratory, imaging, treatment, and follow-up data in detail. In addition, we reviewed cases with congenital hepatic fibrosis reported in the past 20 years in China and analyzed them according to the patients' age.
Results:
A total of eight patients were diagnosed with congenital hepatic fibrosis in the study, including four children and four adults. The onset age of the children, who suffered from severe complications of portal hypertension and needed liver transplantation, ranged from 1 to 15 years old. The disorder developed in adults aged 26 to 60 years old. Three adults complained of recurrent abnormal liver function at the onset of illness, and they mainly received conservative treatments. The literature review included 30 children and 33 adults. In comparison, hepatomegaly was more common in children than in adults (57% vs. 21%, p = 0.004). Malformation of kidneys and bile duct abnormalities were common, and multisystem involvement included eyes, other digestive organs, and genital and central nervous systems.
Conclusions:
Serious complications of portal hypertension developed in children requiring liver transplantation, while adults often had mild-to-moderate liver injuries upon onset. Adults with CHF varied a lot in clinical manifestations. Multiorgan involvement and unusual course are helpful to make a diagnosis. Timely histological assessment by liver biopsy and multidisciplinary cooperation are crucial for definitive diagnosis and early intervention.
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