Long Term Follow-Up, Treatment and Prognosis of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Childhood

Objective: In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate patients in terms of the treatment applied to them, their responses to treatment, factors affecting the response to treatment and complications of the disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 89 patients included in the study were divided into five groups: those carrying hepatitis B virus, those receiving interferon treatment (IFN), those receiving lavumidin treatment (LAM), those receiving lavumidin and interferon treatment (IFN+LAM), and those with chronic hepatitis B but not receiving any medical treatment for this disease. Results: The rate of full viral clearance was 6.7%. The full response rate was 53.8% in the IFN group, 39.3% in the LAM group, and 29.4% in the IFN+LAM group. There was a statistically significant relationship between the HBV DNA level at the time of treatment initiation and the response to treatment (p 0.05). After five years of follow- up, it was found that one patient experienced hepatic failure and one patient experienced esophageal varices. Conclusion: Complications associated with chronic HBV infection are rarely seen in the juvenile age group. Despite many treatment choices, only approximately one half of the patients show a full response to treatment.