Protein-losing enteropathy secondary to hepatic venous outflow obstruction after liver transplantation

J Hepatol. 1997 Jul;27(1):206-10. doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(97)80303-0.

Abstract

A 42-year-old man with a history of repeated abdominal surgery and lymph node tuberculosis underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis. Two years after transplantation, this patient developed a severe protein-losing enteropathy with no evidence of cardiac disease or lymphoproliferative disorder. Imaging work-up revealed hemodynamically significant stenosis of the supra-hepatic caval anastomosis, which was treated by percutaneous balloon angioplasty. All clinical and biochemical disorders resolved within 1 month after percutaneous dilatation, but relapsed simultaneously with recurrent anastomotic stenosis 15 months later. Repeat caval angioplasty resulted in rapid recovery, which strongly suggests that hepatic venous outflow obstruction was responsible for the protein-losing enteropathy in this patient.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Angioplasty, Balloon
  • Budd-Chiari Syndrome / etiology*
  • Budd-Chiari Syndrome / pathology
  • Budd-Chiari Syndrome / therapy
  • Constriction, Pathologic / diagnostic imaging
  • Constriction, Pathologic / pathology
  • Hepatic Veins / diagnostic imaging
  • Hepatic Veins / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Protein-Losing Enteropathies / etiology*
  • Protein-Losing Enteropathies / pathology
  • Radiography
  • Venae Cavae / diagnostic imaging
  • Venae Cavae / pathology*