Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society
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Patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) frequently develop cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating S-100b and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels as markers of neurological outcome in patients with FHF. In a subgroup of patients, the cerebral flux of S-100b and NSE was measured. ⋯ In conclusion, blood levels of S-100b were elevated in almost all patients with FHF and AOCLD, but were unrelated to survival. Conversely, NSE showed a clear tendency toward greater circulating levels in patients with FHF who subsequently developed cerebral herniation than in survivors. This finding encourages further evaluation of NSE as a marker of neurological outcome in FHF.
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As promoters of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) with preservation of caval flow, we reviewed our 8-year experience to assess the feasibility and limits of this technique. Preservation of caval flow during OLT, which improves intraoperative hemodynamic stability, was not considered feasible in a significant proportion of transplant recipients. When transient clamping of caval flow is required, causes and consequences of this clamping during all phases of the procedure were not reported. ⋯ We conclude that IVC preservation is feasible in almost all candidates, allowing the use of split livers from cadaveric or living donors independently from their underlying disease. Although preservation of caval flow was possible in the large majority of cases, transient IVC cross-clamping during hepatectomy was well tolerated in contrast to caval clamping after graft reperfusion. Therefore, if necessary, we recommend transient IVC cross-clamping to perform a large cavocaval anastomosis.
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Combined liver-kidney and kidney-only transplantation outcomes in primary hyperoxaluria (PH) are described. Strategies for the selection of type and timing of transplantation and pretransplantation and posttransplantation management are reviewed. Records were reviewed for 16 patients with PH who received 9 liver-kidney and 10 kidney-only transplants. ⋯ Kidney-alone transplantation is recommended for those with pyridoxine-responsive type I disease because pharmacological therapy allows favorable management of oxalate production in this situation. Kidney-alone transplantation also is recommended for PH type II (PH-II). This disease is less severe than PH-I, and it is currently unknown whether liver transplantation will correct the metabolic defect responsible for PH-II.