Fungal infections in liver transplant recipients

Sixty-two adults who underwent orthotopic liver transplantations between February 1981 and June 1983 were followed for a mean of 170 days after the operation. Twenty-six patients developed 30 episodes of significant fungal infection. Candida species and Torulopsis glabrata were responsible for 22 episodes and Aspergillus species for 6. Most fungal infections occurred in the first month after transplantation. In the first 8 weeks after transplantation, death occurred in 69% (18/26) of patients with fungal infection but in only 8% (3/36) of patients without fungal infection (P<0.0005). The cause of death, however, was usually multifactorial, and not solely due to the fungal infection. Fungal infections were associated with the following clinical factors: administration of preoperative steroids (P<0.05) and antibiotics (P<0.05), longer transplant operative time (P<0.02), longer posttransplant operative time (P<0.01), duration of antibiotic use after transplant surgery (P<0.001), and the number of steroid boluses administered to control rejection in the first 2 posttransplant months (P<0.01). Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis had fewer fungal infections than patients with other underlying liver diseases (P<0.05). A total of 41% (9/22) of Candida infections resolved, but all Aspergillus infections ended in death. © 1985 by The Williams & Wilkins Co

Treatment of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with liver transplantation

Ten patients received liver transplants for unresectable epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE). At the time of transplantation, four patients had microscopic metastases to the hilar lymph nodes, and one of the four also had metastases to a rib. The fifth patient had metastases to the lung, pleura, and diaphragm. The remaining five patients were believed to be free of metastatic disease. Two of these five patients died of metastatic disease at 3 and 16 months, respectively, after transplantation. Interestingly, all five patients with metastatic involvement are currently alive 40.6 ± 22 months (mean ± standard error of mean [SEM]) after transplantation, although one of these patients currently has metastatic disease to the lungs and mediastinum. Thus, the projected 5‐year actuarial survival rate is 76%, with two patients at risk after the third year. In conclusion, liver transplantation is a reasonable procedure for bulky, otherwise unresectable, EHE even in the presence of metastatic disease. Copyright © 1988 American Cancer Societ

Liver Transplantation in Adults

Human liver transplantation has been possible since 1967. We report our experience in 32 adult patients who received liver transplants at the University of Pittsburgh over a 16‐month period. Survival data, method utilized for patient selection, costs, and morbidity of the procedure are discussed. Copyright © 1982 American Association for the Study of Liver Disease

Reversibility of lymphomas and lymphoproliferative lesions developing under cyclosporin-steroid therapy

Post-transplant lymphomas or other lymphoproliferative lesions, which were usually associated with Epstein-Barr virus infections, developed in 8, 4, 3, and 2 recipients, respectively, of cadaveric kidney, liver, heart, and heart-lung homografts. Reduction or discontinuance of immunosuppression caused regression of the lesions, often without subsequent rejection of the grafts. Chemotherapy and irradiation were not valuable. The findings may influence policies about treating other kinds of post-transplantation neoplasms