Transplantation of a ninety-three-year-old donor liver. Case report.
Advanced donor age has been considered a risk factor for the use of organs for transplantation. We report the case of an orthotopic liver transplant performed using a 93-year-old donor. The donor had been admitted to the intensive care unit 3 days before due to cerebral hemorrhage. History, viral serology, liver function tests and hemodynamics were normal. At laparotomy, the liver appeared macroscopically normal; histology showed mild parenchymal congestion and focal signs of steatosis (less than 10%). The liver was therefore procured and transplanted into a 52-year-old recipient with alcoholic, post-hepatitis C. cirrhosis. Cold and warm ischemia times were 8 hours 20 min and 67 min, respectively. Production of bile was observed after reperfusion. Six months post-transplantation there is clinical and histological evidence of hepatitis C virus recurrence. Nevertheless, the patient enjoys an acceptable quality of life. Even very old donor livers can be used for transplantation, although it is still debatable whether hepatitis C virus-positive patients are good recipients of such livers.
Liver Transplant Unit, University of Pisa, Ospedale Cisanello, Pisa, Italy. f.filipponi@patchir.med.unipi.it
Franco
F
Filipponi
Jacopo
J
Romagnoli
Lucio
L
Urbani
Gabriele
G
Catalano
Aurelio
A
Costa
Franco
F
Mosca
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors