Hepatology

Our Hepatology team includes pediatric gastroenterologists who are specially trained to meet the unique needs of a child’s growing and developing body. We offer the full spectrum of specialized care for many liver conditions, including these and others:

Acute Liver Failure

  • Liver failure is the severe breakdown of liver function after a large part of the liver is damaged from any type of liver disorder.

Chronic Liver Diseases

  • Alagille syndrome: A rare and complex genetic condition of too few bile ducts, which causes bile to build up in the liver and affect multiple bodily systems and organs
  • Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency: An inherited disease that prevents enough A1AT protein from being released from the liver into the blood, causing inflammation and tissue damage
  • Autoimmune hepatitis
  • Biliary atresia
  • Bile acid synthesis defect: This condition prevents the body from making bile acid, which results in progressive liver disease
  • Caroli’s syndrome: Caroli’s disease is a malformation in the larger intrahepatic bile duct, and congenital hepatic fibrosis affects the small interlobular bile duct; Caroli’s syndrome is the term used when both conditions are present, and the liver becomes stiff and scarred as a result
  • Cryptogenic cirrhosis: A common type of cirrhosis when the cause of scar tissue in the liver is unknown
  • Cystic fibrosis liver disease: A major complication of cystic fibrosis when the bile ducts are blocked, causing the liver to become inflamed and scarred enough to impact quality of life
  • Drug-induced liver disease: Also called drug-induced liver injury, this is damage to the liver caused by taking certain prescription or non-prescription medications and supplements
  • Glycogen storage disease (GSD): A genetic disorder that affects the way the body stores and uses glycogen (a form of sugar/glucose), which can cause low blood sugar, muscle weakness and liver damage
  • Hepatitis:
  • Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Occurs when extra body weight and other factors cause fat buildup and inflammation of the liver
  • Obesity: A chronic disease resulting from excess body fat, which affects a person’s health and increases risk for certain conditions, including liver issues such as scarring, inflammation and even liver failure
  • Parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD): A liver dysfunction and serious complication in patients who rely on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN)
  • Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (all types): Rare genetic disorders that impact the ability of the liver to secrete bile, which causes a buildup and potential liver damage, even failure
  • Sclerosing cholangitis: A chronic and progressive disease of the bile duct system that limits the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder into the first part of the small intestine
  • Tyrosinemia type 1: A rare, genetic metabolic disorder that prevents the body from properly breaking down the amino acid tyrosine, leading to a buildup that impacts the liver and kidneys
  • Wilson disease: A rare inherited disorder that prevents the liver from ridding the body of excess copper, creating build up and problems in organs such as the liver, brain and eyes

Liver Tumors

  • Hepatoblastoma
  • Liver cancer: Called hepatocellular carcinoma, it is a serious disease caused by a cancerous tumor growing on the liver
  • Hemangioendothioma: Rare vascular tumors created in the cells that line blood vessels; frequently located in the liver, although the tumors can be found in other locations in the body
  • Unresectable benign liver tumors with disabling symptoms: Non-cancerous tumors on the liver that cannot be removed surgically and often cause pain and other symptoms that impact quality of life

Metabolic Liver Disease with Life-Threatening Extra-Hepatic Complications

  • Crigler-Najjar syndrome: A very rare genetic disorder that creates a buildup of bilirubin in the blood, resulting in lifelong treatment
  • Organic acidemias: Refers to a group of rare genetic disorders that prevent the body from breaking down organic acids and other compounds; typically diagnosed in newborns
  • Primary hyperoxaluria: This rare genetic condition causes recurrent kidney and bladder stones, which prevent the body from properly filtering waste and can lead to kidney and liver damage and the need for organ transplant
  • Urea cycle disorders: The urea cycle refers to the metabolic system that coverts ammonia from digested proteins into urea; these conditions prevent the body from removing the waste, potentially leading to a dangerous buildup of ammonia in the bloodstream

From the common to the complex, our pediatric hepatologists are skilled at treating whatever liver condition your child faces. Beginning with the diagnosis – and continuing throughout treatment and follow-up care – we’ll be by your side every step of the way.