Three fatal cases of hepatitis with jaundice are reported in siblings with onset at ages of 4 weeks, 1 week, and 4 months, and death at 3 months, 4 months and 9 months, respectively.Microscopic findings in postmortem sections of the liver were consistent with a diagnosis of viral hepatitis. From known data available it was probably of the homologous serum type.The mother and two living siblings exhibited laboratory evidence of liver damage. Congenital viral hepatitis may simulate the clinical picture of biliary atresia.Failure to include a consideration of viral hepatitis in the differential diagnosis of icterus in the very young infant may have serious consequences since these cases do not withstand surgical procedures, such as exploratory laparatomy, very well.
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