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The first pediatric otorhinolaryngological department was set up in Hungary at the Heim Pál Children's Hospital, Budapest in 1948. The first head of the department and the founder of Hungarian pediatric otorhinolaryngology was Ferenc Kallay. He was followed in leadership by Jeno Hirschberg, and at present Gábor Katona. In Budapest 10 pediatric otolaryngological departments and in other parts of the country seven departments have been working until recently with overall 344 beds. The Pediatric Otorhinolaryngological Section was developed in 1977. The discipline is independent specialty since 1978. Conferences with various special topics have been organized every year since then. Two international congresses were held in Hungary: the first one in Eger, 1986 presided by Jeno Hirschberg and Zoltán Lábas; and the second in Budapest in 2008, organized by Gábor Katona. The Hungarian pediatric otorhinolaryngologists assumed initiative role in the development of this special discipline six decades ago, early joined in the international life and have had important positions in several international associations (IFOS, ESPO, UEP, IALP, IAP) as president, board member or chairman of committees. Besides the organizational work, they have taken part in the scientific and research work as well: in the present paper the authors detail the results achieved by them in several topics of pediatric otorhinolaryngology.

The 70 year anniversary celebration of the Pediatric Department of University Medical School, Debrecen provided an opportunity for the author to survey the characteristic features of Pediatrics: the development of this discipline during the last decades, its diagnostic and therapeutic facilities and future perspectives. Pediatrics responsible for the healthy status, undisturbed development, and helping the 20-25% of the population to become healthy grown up has gone through a significant change during the past years. In diagnostics the new imaging methods, endoscopic procedures and the molecular genetic investigations have provided a considerable progress. In therapy application of immunoglobulins followed by cytokines, the organ transplantation and gene therapy are of basic importance concerning the present facilities and future perspectives. In order to become familiar with the developing possibilities, the latest scientific results physicians are required to carry out self-education. To suit the challenges properly physicians are in need not only of professional knowledge but also of empathy, sympathy to meet the demands on behalf of the patients to a larger extent.