[Liver cirrhosis in childhood--etiology, diagnosis and conservative therapy].

Liver cirrhosis is relatively rare in children as compared to adults; frequently it is diagnosed too late. Biliary cirrhosis of early childhood is often the result of neonatal cholestatic syndromes. Beyond infancy, cirrhosis as a consequence of chronic active autoimmune hepatitis or of Wilson's disease may be prevented, if causal therapy is begun in time. Hence paediatricians should exclude both diseases in all children with elevated transaminases and clinical features of a liver disorder.