The coming of age of a young subspecialty: paediatric hepatology

Paediatric hepatology dates from the 1970s and it is the youngest of the organ-specific subspecialties. As then there have been impressive achievements in the fields of anatomical, metabolic, immunological and neoplastic diseases, and the advent of modern molecular biology has resulted in a marked increase in exact diagnoses. Liver transplants provided enormous stimulus for the discipline. Due to changing morbidity patterns, the discipline faces new challenges, such as environment- and lifestyle-induced liver diseases, but different forms of chronic viral hepatitis are diminishing. Conclusion: High levels of competence require good clinical research, optimal results and a high degree of centralisation.