Long-term evolution of chronic delta hepatitis in children

Twenty-three children, aged 3 to 15 years, with chronic delta hepatitis 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 disease remained reasonably stable during observation; liver histologic findings, obtained in 14 patients, worsened in only two.