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- $Unique_ID{BRK03812}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Hepatic Fibrosis, Congenital}
- $Subject{Hepatic Fibrosis Congenital CHF Banti's Syndrome Caroli Syndrome
- Gaucher's Disease Medullary Cystic Disease Medullary Sponge Kidney }
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1992 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
-
- 860:
- Hepatic Fibrosis, Congenital
-
- ** IMPORTANT **
- It is possible that the main title of the article (Congenital Hepatic
- Fibrosis) is not the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYMS listing
- to find the alternate name and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
-
- Synonyms
-
- CHF
-
- Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related
- Disorders section of this report:
-
- Banti's Syndrome
- Caroli Syndrome
- Gaucher's Disease
- Medullary Cystic Disease
- Medullary Sponge Kidney
-
- General Discussion
-
- ** REMINDER **
- The Information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
- educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
- purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
- contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
- section of this report.
-
- Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis is a rare disease that affects both the liver
- and kidneys. The patient is born with this disorder (congenital) and it is
- thought to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The typical liver
- abnormalities are an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), increased pressure in the
- venous system that carries blood from different organs to the liver (portal
- hypertension), and fiberlike connective tissue that spreads over the liver
- (hepatic fibrosis). Many patients with Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis also have
- polycystic kidney disease, which is characterized by cysts in the kidneys.
- Bleeding from the gastrointestinal area (stomach and intestines) is the main
- clinical problem in patients with Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis.
-
- Symptoms
-
- Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis usually presents itself in children, with the
- obvious symptoms being a swollen abdomen, a firm slightly enlarged liver
- and/or vomiting red blood due to bleeding in the stomach and intestines.
-
- The main findings in Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis are identified through
- diagnostic testing. Many of the following signs are present in patients with
- this disorder:
-
- 1. Portal Hypertension - increased pressure in the venous system that
- carries blood from multiple organs to the liver (portal system). This
- increased blood pressure is caused by blockage of this blood supply to the
- liver due to excess connective tissue growth in the liver. Portal
- hypertension can cause enlargement of the spleen and swollen or dilated veins
- of the esophagus.
-
- 2. Hepatic Fibrosis - a fiberlike connective tissue that spreads through
- the liver.
-
- 3. Nephromegaly - enlarged kidney.
-
- 4. Gastrointestinal Bleeding - bleeding from the stomach and intestines
- which may cause the patient to vomit red blood.
-
- 5. Polycystic Kidney Disease - an inherited disorder in which there are
- cysts in both kidneys. This causes enlargement of the total kidney size
- while reducing the functional kidney tissue by compression. (For more
- information on this disorder choose "Polycystic Kidney Disease" as your
- search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- 6. Splenomegaly - an enlarged spleen.
-
- Liver function tests are usually normal in patients with this disease.
- The diagnosis of Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis is confirmed by a liver biopsy.
-
- Causes
-
- Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis is thought to be inherited as an autosomal
- recessive trait. Human traits, including the classic genetic diseases, are
- the product of the interaction of two genes, one received from the father and
- one from the mother. In recessive disorders, the condition does not appear
- unless a person inherits the same defective gene for the same trait from each
- parent. If one receives one normal gene and one gene for the disease, the
- person will be a carrier for the disease, but usually will not show symptoms.
- The risk of transmitting the disease to the children of a couple, both of
- whom are carriers for a recessive disorder, is twenty-five percent. Fifty
- percent of their children will be carriers, but healthy as described above.
- Twenty-five percent of their children will receive both normal genes, one
- from each parent, and will be genetically normal.
-
- Affected Population
-
- Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis affects males and females in equal numbers. This
- disease is usually present in children and normally detected in the first ten
- years of life. The disorder is rare throughout the world.
-
- Related Disorders
-
- Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Congenital
- Hepatic Fibrosis. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
-
- Banti's Syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by an abnormal
- enlargement of the spleen resulting from a blood clot in the portal or
- splenic vein or liver disease (cirrhosis). Symptoms of this disorder may be
- weakness, fatigue, anemia, an abnormal enlargement of the spleen, bleeding of
- the esophagus and the passage of dark stools. (For more information on this
- disorder choose "Banti" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Caroli Syndrome is a rare congenital liver disorder marked by enlargement
- (dilatation) of the bile ducts inside the liver. Major symptoms may include
- abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin (jaundice) and fever. Caroli Syndrome
- is a birth defect of unknown cause. (For more information on this disorder
- choose "Caroli Syndrome" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Gaucher's Disease is an inherited disease of lipid metabolism caused by
- the failure to produce the enzyme glucocerebrosidase. There are three types
- of Gaucher's Disease - Type I, II and III. All three are characterized by
- the presence of Gaucher (lipid-laden) cells in the bone marrow and other
- organs such as the spleen and liver. Symptoms of this disorder may include
- an enlarged spleen or liver, swollen abdomen, low blood count, bone pain or
- deterioration, hyperextension of the head, deterioration of the nervous
- system, seizures, abnormal eye movement and/or jerking motions of the limbs,
- head and upper body. (For more information on this disorder choose
- "Gaucher's Disease" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Medullary Cystic Disease is a kidney disease, either genetic or
- congenital in origin, which usually appears in children or young adults.
- This disorder is characterized by a gradual increase of urea and other by-
- products of protein breakdown in the blood (uremia) due to progressive
- failure of kidney function. (For more information on this disorder choose
- "Medullary Cystic Disease" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Medullary Sponge Kidney is characterized by dilation of the terminal
- collecting ducts in the kidney. Often small calcium oxalate stones appear in
- the ducts. This condition may affect one or both kidneys and is inherited as
- an autosomal dominant trait. (For more information on this disorder choose
- "Medullary Sponge" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Therapies: Standard
-
- Treatment of Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis is symptomatic and supportive.
-
- To prevent gastrointestinal hemorrhage, portal hypertension may need to
- be treated surgically. Aspirin and alcohol should be avoided.
-
- Treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease consists of management of urinary
- infections and secondary hypertension. The kidney function may deteriorate
- very slowly in some patients. In general, kidney function is normal or
- slightly impaired when congenital hepatic fibrosis is found along with
- polycystic kidney disease in older children. Patients eventually need
- dialysis in order to remove toxins from the blood.
-
- Transplantation of a kidney or liver may be indicated.
-
- Genetic counseling may be of benefit for patients and their families.
-
- Therapies: Investigational
-
- Research on birth defects and their causes is ongoing. The National
- Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the Human Genome Project which is
- aimed at mapping every gene in the human body and learning why they sometimes
- malfunction. It is hoped that this new knowledge will lead to prevention and
- treatment of genetic disorders in the future.
-
- Research on Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) that
- affects children is being pursued by the following research team:
-
- Lisa M. Guay-Woodford, M.D.
- Norman D. Rosenblum, M.D.
- Kathy L. Jabs, M.D.
- William E. Harmon, M.D.
- E. William Harris, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
- The Division of Nephrology
- The Children's Hospital
- 300 Longwood Ave.
- Boston, MA 02115
- (617) 735-6129
-
- This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
- April 1992. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep
- every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate.
- Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most
- current information about this disorder.
-
- Resources
-
- For more information on Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis, please contact:
-
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- P.O. Box 8923
- New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
- 203-746-6518
-
- American Liver Foundation
- 1425 Pompton Ave.
- Cedar Grove, N.J. 07009
- (201) 857-2626
- (800) 223-0179
-
- Children's Liver Foundation
- 14245 Ventura Blvd.
- Suite 201
- Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
-
- Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Foundation
- 20 West 9th Street
- Kansas City, MO 64105
- (816) 421-1869
-
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
- Box NKUDIC
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- (301) 468-6345
-
- The National Kidney Foundation
- 30 East 33rd Street
- New York, NY 10016
- (212) 689-2210
- (800) 622-9010
-
- American Kidney Fund
- 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 1010
- Rockville, MD 20852
- (301) 881-3052
- (800) 638-8299
- (800) 492-8361 (MD)
-
- National Association of Patients on Hemodialysis and Transplantation
- 150 150 Nassau Street
- New York, NY 10038
- (212) 619-2720
-
- For Genetic Information and Genetic Counseling Referrals, please contact:
-
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
- 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
- White Plains, NY 10605
- 914-428-7100
-
- Alliance of Genetic Support Groups
- 35 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 440
- Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- (800) 336-GENE
- (301) 652-5553
-
- References
-
- MENDELIAN INHERITANCE IN MAN, 9th Ed.: Victor A. McKusick, Editor: Johns
- Hopkins University Press, 1990. Pp. 1430-31.
-
- CECIL TEXTBOOK OF MEDICINE, 19th Ed.: James B. Wyngaarden, and Lloyd H.
- Smith, Jr., Editors; W.B. Saunders Co., 1990. Pp. 849.
-
- THE KIDNEY, 4th Ed.; Barry M. Brenner, M.D. and Floyd C. Rector, Jr.,
- M.D., Editors; W.B. Saunders Company, 1991. Pp. 1670-72.
-
- BIRTH DEFECTS ENCYCLOPEDIA, Mary Louise Buyse, M.D., Editor-In-Chief;
- Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1990. Pp. 861-62.
-
-