Deflazacort for Type-1 Autoimmune Hepatitis in a Korean Girl

Prednisone or prednisolone are the mainstay drug treatments for autoimmune hepatitis in children. However, long-term use of corticosteroid is associated with the risk of steroid-induced toxicities, and this situation requires newer immuno-suppressive agents for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis, especially in growing children. An 11-yr-old Korean girl with type-1 autoimmune hepatitis discontinued prednisolone due to toxicities, i.e., hirsutism, buffalo hump, and skin striae, and remained clinical and biochemical remission under replacement of deflazacort and ursodeoxycholic acid combination therapy. A follow-up liver biopsy after 19 months of deflazacort and ursodeoxycholic acid treatment showed histologic remission.