<![CDATA[Hypertransaminasemia, characterized by elevated liver enzymes, is a common clinical finding in pediatric patients and can indicate various underlying conditions. Understanding the clinical demographics and the underlying causes of hypertransaminasemia is crucial for effective diagnosis and management. This study aimed to investigate the severity of liver enzyme elevations and their underlying etiologies. A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of pediatric patients. Data collected included patient demographics, laboratory results, and the diagnosis. In this study, the severity of hypertransaminasemia was categorized solely by Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and underlying causes were classified as hepatic or non-hepatic. The reference values were determined by selecting the upper limits of normal (ULNs) for each gender and age group. A total of 1037 pediatric patients were included in this study. The majority were aged between 18 months and 12 years (60.5%), with a male predominance (52.1%). Based on the underlying cause group, 665 cases (64.1%) were of non-hepatic origin, while 372 (35.9%) were hepatic origin. Among the elevated ALT, 545 (52.6%) were mild, 276 (26.2%) were moderate, and 216 (20.8%) were severe. Etiological investigations revealed drug-induced liver injury (20.8%) as the major cause. There was a significant difference between the underlying causes of hypertransaminasemia and ALT levels (p =0.001), while no significant difference observed (p =0.652) regarding the degree of hypertransaminasemia increase and ALT levels (p =0.652). There was no correlation between ALT levels and the causative diagnosis in the severe hypertransaminase group (p =0.818; r =-0.016). Further prospective studies are required to validate these results and refine clinical approaches to patients with hypertransaminasemia.]]>
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