title: Improvement in chronic hepatocerebral degeneration following liver transplantation.
abstract: Chronic progressive hepatocerebral degeneration with spastic paraparesis, dementia, dysarthria, ataxia, tremor, and neuropsychiatric symptoms follows long-standing portal-systemic shunting, is associated with structural changes in the central nervous system, and does not respond to conventional therapy for hepatic encephalopathy. A case of advanced chronic liver disease with severe, progressive hepatocerebral degeneration after 23 yr of portal-systemic shunting is reported in whom there was significant objective improvement in intellectual function and in the chronic neurological signs 3 mo after orthotopic liver transplantation and further improvement 12 mo after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pender
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chalk
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Parkin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kerlin
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cooksley
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011167:Portacaval Shunt, Surgical; D013997:Time Factors