Liver Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Resolution of medically resistant hypothyroidism after liver transplantation for hepatic hemangioendothelioma.

Lee TC, Barshes NR, Agee EE, O'Mahony CA, Karpen SJ, Carter BA, Bristow JD, Goss JA

Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Hepatic hemangioendothelioma (HHE) is a rare vascular tumor in neonates and may cause high-output cardiac failure and coagulopathy, and rarely has been associated with hypothyroidism. Hepatic hemangioendothelioma treatment options consist of corticosteroids, alpha-interferon, surgical resection, and liver transplantation. Herein, we report the case of a 6-week-old female neonate that presented with an HHE that involved all segments of the liver, resulting in respiratory failure and severe hypothyroidism that was recalcitrant to exogenous L-thyroxine therapy. After failure of medical and supportive therapy for the HHE, the patient underwent a cadaveric orthotopic liver transplantation that resulted in successful treatment of the severe hypothyroidism, respiratory failure, and cardiac symptoms. The patient is currently 1-year posttransplantation and disease free with normal thyroid function.

Published 2 October 2006 in J Pediatr Surg, 41(10): 1783-5.
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