Liver disease during adolescence

At a time in life when body image is of primary importance, the occurrence of chronic liver disease causing ascites or an obstructive lesion leading to jaundice can be psychologically and socially detrimental to the adolescent. In those in whom the disease had its onset in childhood, the frequent occurrence of delayed puberty further complicates their teenage adjustment. Conversely, the adolescent diagnosed as having chronic persistent hepatitis on the basis of finding an elevated serum transaminase and who is clinically healthy often has difficulty in accepting a regimen of regular visits to the physician, repeated venipunctures and possibly liver biopsy.