Living donor liver transplantation using a graft with periportal fibrosis

Hepatol Res. 2015 Dec;45(12):1248-50. doi: 10.1111/hepr.12490. Epub 2015 Mar 3.

Abstract

A 57-year-old woman with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) was scheduled to undergo living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), but the operation was cancelled because the only potential donor had chronic alcohol-related liver disease. One year later, FAP-related neurological symptoms progressed rapidly, and emergency LDLT was planned. The donor's hepatic function had returned to normal range after 1 year of abstinence. The left liver graft volume was equivalent to 37.7% of the standard liver volume (SLV) of the recipient. However, a liver biopsy revealed mild fibrosis (score, F1). LDLT was successfully performed without any complications. The recipient's neurological findings returned to normal. One year after LDLT, the liver graft volume was equivalent to approximately 90% of the SLV, and the fibrosis had improved. LDLT using a graft with a fibrosis score of up to F1 may be an acceptable alternative for recipients with normal hepatic function.

Keywords: donor criteria; fibrosis; live donor.