Factors influencing clinical course and histological findings in children with chronic hepatitis B.

Introduction: Although the clinical course of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is relatively mild in a majority of children, a certain proportion of patients develops chronic liver disease that finally results in serious liver injury. Reports regarding clinical outcome of infection are scarce.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess inflammatory activity, fibrosis, and their correlation to clinical data in children with CHB before antiviral treatment.