Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in children.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the western world. Despite extensive epidemiological data in adults, the exact number of children infected is still unknown, and little is known about the natural history of chronic HCV infection in childhood. The authors review studies focusing on HCV infection in children, and summarize the results, including the efficacy of interferon, and interferon plus ribavirin combination treatment of HCV hepatitis in childhood.