The pattern of paediatric hepatobiliary disorders in the eastern provinee of Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

The pattern of paediatric hepatobiliary disor-ders in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is reported.

Erom May 1981 to December 1990, 112 patients were seen at King Eahd Hospital of the University in Al-Khobar, and retrospective review of medical records was possible in 82 patients.

The age ranged from birth to 13 years, the male to female ratio was 2:1, and 83% of the children were Saudi nationals.

Cholestatic syndrome of infancy was the commonest diagnosis occurring in 44 pa-tients (68.2%).

Of these, 21 patients had intrahe-patic cholestasis, nine had extrahepatic biliary atresia, and the diagnosis of cholestasis was unknown in 14 patients.

The pattern of other hepatobiliary diseases is also reported.

It is concluded that major paediatric hepatobiliary disorders occur in the East-ern Province of Saudi Arabia.

This information should help in the planning of patient care and in medical education.