Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Case Report of a Challenging Diagnosis After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by a protozoan and transmitted by sandfly species in several emerging countries. Visceral leishmaniasis is a serious complication, especially in immunosuppressed patients, and is uncommon after liver transplantation. We report the case of a 48-year-old female patient who underwent liver transplantation owing to polycystic liver disease. Six months after the procedure, she was hospitalized with diarrhea, acute kidney failure, and leukopenia. She had been off steroids for 3 months and was taking mycophenolate and tacrolimus. She had already been treated for cytomegalovirus, which was negative on admission. During hospitalization, fever, splenomegaly, ascites, and pancytopenia appeared. Serology for Leishmania by indirect immunofluorescence was negative. Then, bone biopsy and molecular testing for Leishmania diagnosed it as visceral leishmaniasis. Amphotericin therapy was initiated with resolution of fever after 4 days of treatment and gradual recovery from pancytopenia. This case highlights the challenge of early diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in liver transplant recipients with diarrhea and leukopenia, which can be caused by immunosuppression or more prevalent viral diseases. Late onset of fever, splenomegaly, and a first negative serologic test also made early diagnosis difficult. The aim of the report is to emphasize the suspicion of visceral leishmaniasis in symptomatic patients from emerging countries and to question the benefit of including protozoan screening in liver transplant donors and recipients in endemic areas.     

Late Development of Splenic Artery Aneurysm After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) is a rare complication after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Although SAAs are often incidental findings, in some cases they present with signs and symptoms of abdominal mass or intra-abdominal hemorrhage. The diagnosis requires Doppler ultrasound and confirmation with computed tomography, magnetic resonance, or angiography. Endovascular techniques are preferred to surgery for the treatment of most SAAs. A variable interval from 6 days to 11 years has been reported between OLT and the diagnosis of SAA, justifying a lifelong scheduled surveillance of abdominal vessels by ultrasound after OLT. Herein we have reported a case of SAA that developed 16 years after OLT. This pathological condition was totally asymptomatic. Only routine abdominal ultrasound allowed its detection and subsequent successful treatment.     

Pancreas Transplantation After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Our aim was to describe the clinical indications, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes of a pancreas transplantation, performed 4 years after liver transplantation, as treatment for new-onset, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in a 53-year-old man. Liver transplantation was performed for end-stage liver disease secondary to hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient had no history of diabetes prior to the liver transplantation. The decision to proceed with a pancreas transplantation was made when the patient's blood sugar levels could not be normalized despite insulin doses >100 IU/d. A modified cadaveric transplantation technique was used, with the recipient's inferior vena cava dissected for anastomosis with the portal vein of the graft, using a diamond-shaped patch procedure. Moreover, the right common iliac artery was anastomosed with a Y-graft in the pancreas graft, and the duodenum remnant of the graft was anastomosed to the recipient's duodenum using a side-to-side procedure. The 6-month postoperative follow-up included repeated endoscopic biopsy of the graft duodenum, with no evidence of thrombosis or rejection of the graft, with glucose level within normal limits without requirement for diabetic drugs. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pancreas transplantation after liver transplantation.     

Chemotherapy for De Novo Gastric Adenocarcinoma After Deceased Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Background

De novo gastric cancer is a rare complication of liver transplantation.

Iron Overload After Pediatric Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Iron is an essential nutrient for living cells; however, an excessive accumulation of iron leads to organ damage and directly affects systemic immunity. Iron overload is clinically classified as hereditary or secondary. Most of secondary iron overload is caused by frequent blood transfusions because there is no active mechanism to excrete iron from the body. As recommended in various guidelines, chelation therapy is effective for reducing iron burden and improving organ function. There have been few reports on iron overload through blood transfusion during the perioperative period of liver transplantation. This report presents a case of iron overload due to repeated transfusions after pediatric liver transplantation managed by chelation therapy. The patient, an 11-month-old female with biliary atresia, underwent living donor liver transplantation. She revealed refractory anemia and required frequent blood transfusion. Both serum ferritin and transferrin saturation tended to increase after repeated transfusions, leading to secondary iron overload. Iron chelation therapy was started to prevent progression to organ failure and infection due to iron overload, and yielded a favorable outcome. It is crucial to consider the possibility of secondary iron overload and to achieve early detection and treatment to avoid progression to irreversible organ damage.     

Can Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA Detect Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Solid Organ Transplantation: A Case Report

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a rare complication after solid organ transplant. We present a case of GVHD after simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant. The patient was diagnosed with a cutaneous biopsy after developing the classic symptoms of maculopapular rash, diarrhea, and pancytopenia. However, this patient had unexplained elevations in donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) for months before the onset of GVHD symptoms. We hypothesize that GVHD may be associated with elevated dd-cfDNA as a result of massive donor lymphocyte proliferation and turnover. Further investigation is warranted because earlier diagnosis and treatment could improve outcomes in an otherwise lethal disease.     

Metabolic Alkalosis After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

To ascertain the etiology of metabolic alkalosis (MA) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) the records of patients with 123 consecutive OLTs from 1995 to 2000 were reviewed. Metabolic alkalosis occurred in 51.2% of patients. Patients with MA had a larger fluid deficit (-3991 +/- 4324 vs. -1018 +/- 4863, p < 0.05), cumulative furosemide dose (406 +/- 356 vs. 243 +/- 189, p < 0.02), and citrate load from blood transfusions (9164 +/- 4870 vs. 7809 +/- 3967, p < 0.05). There was no difference in serum lactate concentration (3.15 +/- 1.63 vs. 3.11 +/- 1.91) in patients with and without MA. The duration of ICU stay was longer in patients with MA (14.9 +/- 15.3 vs. 5.3 +/- 3.9 days, p < 0.004). Treatment of severe MA in 19 (15.4%) patients consisted of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid and/or acetazolamide. Hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia occurred in 37.4% and 59.3% of patients, respectively. In conclusion, MA is a common post-OLT complication that is associated with a longer ICU stay. Diuretic-induced volume depletion, the citrate load from blood transfusions, hypokalemia, and hypomagnesemia contribute to the pathogenesis of MA in OLT.     

Renal Dysfunction After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Background

Identification of risk factors of acute renal failure (ARF) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may avoid the development and attenuate the impact on patient outcome. Therefore, the incidence and risk factors of ARF after OLT at Siriraj Hospital were analyzed.

Methods

The study was retrospectively analyzed from the OLT patients at the Siriraj Hospital between January 2002 and December 2009. ARF was defined as an increased in serum creatinine level more than 1.5 times within the first week postoperation compared with the preoperative level.

Results

A total of 81 liver transplant patients were analyzed. The mean age was 52.45 years (range, 22 to 71) and there were 25 women (30.86%) and 56 men (69.14%). Indications for OLT were end-stage liver cirrhosis (n = 43, 53.09%), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 36, 44.44%), and fulminant hepatic failure (n = 2, 2.47%). Fifty-eight patients (71.60%) developed ARF, and the perioperative mortality of these was 18.97%. The univariate analysis identified the presence of preoperative coagulopathy, prolonged intraoperative hypotension, more blood loss, and postoperative hypotension as the risk factors of ARF. By the multivariate analysis, prolonged intraoperative hypotension more than 30 minutes and presence of postoperative hypotension were the independent risk factors of ARF. During the intraoperative and postoperative periods, ARF group required more blood and blood components transfusion, longer intensive care unit stay, and higher in-hospital mortality. Seven patients (12.07%) in the ARF group required postoperative renal replacement therapy. Four patients (9.52%) developed chronic renal failure, and one of them required long-term hemodialysis.

Conclusions

ARF was a common complication after OLT, which caused increased morbidity and mortality. Although some patients required dialysis, most of them recovered normal renal function. Prolonged intraoperative hypotension and presence of postoperative hypotension were the independent risk factors of ARF after OLT.     

Emergency Liver Transplantation After Umbilical Hernia Repair: A Case Report

We report a rare case of acute liver failure due to embolization of the liver after an umbilical hernia repair in a patient with Child B liver cirrhosis and status posttransjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS). This patient initially presented with a symptomatic umbilical hernia. His umbilical vein was open (Cruveilhier–Baumgarten syndrome). After hernia repair the patient developed thrombosis of the umbilical vein with consequent partial embolization to, and acute failure of, the liver. The patient underwent successful emergency liver transplantation. This disease needs close collaboration among surgeons, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, radiologists, nutritionists, and transplant teams to establish an effective treatment plan.     

原位肝移植治疗血色病性肝硬化1例报道

遗传性血色病又称原发性血色病(IHC),是常染色体隐性遗传病,由此引起的肝硬化称血色病性肝硬化。我院于2002年12月为1例血色病性肝硬化病人施行原位肝移植术,现报告如下。临床资料1.一般资料病例男性,40岁,1988年因患甲型肝炎在我院治疗时发现肝脾肿大,经实验室检查,血清铁42μmol/L、铁蛋白浓度320μg/L(最高曾达800μg/L),转铁蛋白饱和度为71%,诊断为血色病,行放血治疗,每周放血400～800ml,总量近20000ml,但血清铁和铁蛋白浓度仍持续升高。2002年起病人多次出现呕血、黑便并伴腹水,B超示肝硬化脾肿大,胃镜提示食管、胃底静脉曲张,保守…     

原位心脏移植1例

１例扩张型心肌病伴严重室性心律失常的１６岁女病人，因持续心功能衰竭５年，心功能Ⅳ级（ＮＹＨＡ）。以利尿剂控制心衰、利多卡因抗心律失常、多巴胺和多巴酚酊胺维持血压，于１９９２年３月行原位心脏移植术。术后７个月病人死于急性排异反应和感染。     

Treatment of Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Liver Transplantation with Basiliximab Followed by Bowel Resection

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a serious complication with mortality rates over 80%. Two patients with established GVHD after OLT were treated with Basiliximab, a chimeric murine human monoclonal antibody which binds to the alpha-chain of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R). Two males, aged 45 and 56 years, presented after OLT with a clinical picture consistent with GVHD. Quantitative measurements of recipient peripheral blood donor lymphocyte chimerism were carried out by flow cytometric analysis, and showed peak chimerism levels of 5% and 8%, respectively. Treatment comprised 3 doses of 1 g methyl prednisolone followed by 2 doses of 20 mg of Basiliximab. In both, treatment resulted in complete disappearance of macro-chimerism in blood. There was resolution of skin rash by day 7; however, diarrhea persisted. White cell scan showed increased uptake in the terminal ileum and small-bowel resection was performed in both patients. One patient is alive and well 36 months after OLT. The other patient had resolution of GVHD, but died of recurrent hepatitis C 1 year after OLT. The combination of immunological and surgical treatment for GVHD following solid organ transplantation has not previously been described.     

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Secondary to Tuberculosis After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HL) is a rare syndrome characterized by a hyperinflammatory state, resulting from an excessive but ineffective immune response. There is a continuous stimulation of TCD8 + lymphocytes, associated with an uncontrolled release of cytokines, causing the infiltration of multiple organs by histiocytes and activated lymphocytes. HL can be a primary condition as a consequence of genetic disorder that most often affects children, or it can be secondary to neoplasms, autoimmune conditions or various infectious diseases in patients of all ages. HL caused by infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is highly unusual, with few cases reported in the literature. There is no clinical manifestation or laboratorial finding that is specific to HL, and a high index of clinical suspicion is necessary for the correct diagnosis, which is usually confirmed by biopsy. Treatment consists of controlling the causative event and the use of immunosuppressant drugs such as corticosteroids, etoposide, and cyclosporine to suppress the exacerbated immune response. We report the case of a patient who developed HL 2 months after liver transplantation. The initial presentation was persistent fever, prompting a search for a site of infection and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. As the clinical condition of the patient continued to deteriorate, HL was diagnosed through a bone marrow biopsy, and a cerebrospinal fluid culture positive for M. tuberculosis established the diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis. Despite optimal treatment with immunosuppressors and antituberculosis drugs, there was no significant response and the patient died. This article is compliant with the Helsinki Congress and the Istanbul Declaration.     

Gastrointestinal Mucormycosis After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation Presenting as Femoral Nerve Palsy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Mucormycosis has emerged as a major threat to transplant recipients with high morbidity and mortality. This infection most commonly presents with rhino-sino-orbital localization. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis is uncommon, with presenting symptoms usually abdominal in nature. Here, we describe the case of a liver transplant recipient who developed gastrointestinal mucormycosis with an initial manifestation of femoral nerve palsy, ultimately resulting in fungal dissemination and patient demise. This case highlights the challenges in making a timely diagnosis of mucormycosis, particularly in immunocompromised patients.     

同种异体原位肝移植治疗晚期肝泡状棘球蚴病(附5例报告)

目的 探讨同种异体原位肝移植治疗晚期肝泡状棘球蚴病的适应证、手术操作及围手术期处理要点。方法 对2001年以来我院实施的5例同种异体原位肝移植治疗的无法切除的晚期肝泡状棘球蚴(AHD)病例进行回顾性分析。结果 5例术后移植肝功能恢复良好，无AHD复发。1例于术后1年死于肺部感染。结论 同种异体原位肝移植是目前治愈晚期AHD的唯一方法。采用有效的手术技术解决术中病肝切除困难。术前、术后规范使用抗AHD药物．术后合理控制免疫抑制药物剂量是治疗成功的关键。     

An Unusual Posttransplant T-cell Lymphoma After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) encompass a spectrum of heterogeneous entities ranging from benign lymphocytic proliferations to high-grade malignant lymphomas. The majority of PTLDs are associated with reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which induces B-cell proliferation and occurs in the setting of severe immune suppression after solid organ or bone marrow transplantation. T-cell/natural killer cell PTLDs are relatively rare, constituting ～15% of all cases. T-cell PTLDs are usually aggressive, and outcomes are poor. This article describes an unusual case of T-cell PTLD with a favorable outcome. The patient is a 57-year-old man who underwent a liver transplantation due to hepatitis C cirrhosis. He developed graft-versus-host disease with skin and gastrointestinal involvement and generalized lymphadenopathy 4 months after transplantation. Histologic sections of an excised axillary lymph node showed atypical medium and larger T-lymphocytes that were positive for CD3, CD5, CD43, and CD8 but were negative for B-cell antigens, CD56, and in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA. Polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed monoclonal T-cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangement. A diagnosis of high-grade T-cell PTLD was made. The patient was treated with 4 cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone and is currently in remission, 4 years after therapy. The rapid presentation of an EBV-negative T-cell PTLD with a nonaggressive course and complete response to treatment is an unusual presentation of posttransplantation T-cell lymphoma, which is usually associated with a high mortality rate.     

Preexisting Cerebral Aspergillosis Successfully Treated After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

Background

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a rare condition that generally affects immunosuppressed patients. The mortality of IA is known to be >90% in liver transplantation (LT) recipients; the lung is the most commonly affected organ, followed by the brain. There have been reports in the literature of cerebral aspergillosis (CA) in LT recipients. In all previous reports, CA developed after LT. We present the first case (to the best of our knowledge) of preexisting CA diagnosed and successfully treated after LT.

Acquired Antithrombin Type IIb Deficiency After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report

A 3‐year‐old girl with multifocal hepatoblastoma was referred to our clinic for living‐donor liver transplantation, the patient's father being the donor. Pretransplant evaluation revealed that the father presented partial asymptomatic antithrombin (AT) deficiency, with no inherited AT deficiency found in the girl. The genetic testing showed an AT type IIb deficiency responsible for a defect in the heparin‐binding region of AT which is less thrombogenic but more common than the other AT qualitative defects. Her mother was ABO incompatible. Despite the thrombophilia on the father's side, transplantation was successfully performed under replacement therapy with intravenous AT concentrate and low‐molecular‐weight heparin thromboprophylaxis given to both the recipient and the donor. No thrombotic complications occurred. In the posttransplantation course, acquired partial AT deficiency was detected in the recipient, who received adjuvant chemotherapy without thrombotic complications. This case report highlights the relevance of full thrombophilic work‐up before liver transplantation from a living donor, while illustrating that the procedure can be successfully performed in the case of AT deficiency on the donor's side provided that appropriate AT supplementation and thromboprophylaxis are administered to both the recipient and the donor.     

Liver Transplantation After Acute Portal Vein Thrombosis: Case Report

BackgroundPortal vein thrombosis is a relatively frequent complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. Its detection and management are essential to avoid worsening portal hypertension or liver function complications. This complication can also negatively impact or even preclude liver transplant.Case presentationWe report the case of a patient who presented with acute portal vein thrombosis, which allowed the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma within the Milan criteria. Chemical thrombolysis was performed with a mechanical aspiration of the thrombus, and in a second moment, the patient was submitted to a liver transplant.ConclusionsAdvances in the therapeutic approach to portal vein thrombosis and surgical techniques have allowed the condition to no longer be an absolute contraindication to liver transplantation. Diagnosis in the acute phase is associated with greater therapeutic success, aiming to avoid the extension of thrombosis and achieve portal vein recanalization.     

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Positivity Immediately After Lung Transplantation: A Case Report

Management of COVID-19 in lung transplant recipients is challenging. We report a case of a 71-year-old male who underwent bilateral lung transplantation with an unexpected case of COVID-19. The patient had been fully vaccinated. The patient and donor tested negative for pretransplant COVID-19. On routine bronchoscopy on day 1 after transplant, the COVID-19 test was positive. Mycophenolic mofetil and the second dose of basiliximab were skipped, but tacrolimus and prednisone were continued. He was treated with casirivimab/imdevimab and remdesivir. He was discharged on day 14 and has had no episodes of acute rejection during the 3 months.