[Cause of late death in liver transplant recipients].
BACKGROUND
The objective is to present the causes of late death in patients subjected to liver transplantation.


METHODS
A total of 209 patients were subjected to 223 liver transplantations (14 retransplantations). The computerized study protocol sheets were evaluated to determine the causes of late death (> 6 months after transplantation).


RESULTS
Of the 209 patients, 30 had late death. Ductopenic rejection (chronic rejection) was the most common cause and it was observed in 10 patients. Time after transplantation at the moment of death of this group of patients varied from 11 to 57 months, with an average of 29 months. Seven patients died at the hospital admission of hepatic retransplantation. Other causes of late death were sepsis, lymphoproliferative disease, chronic renal insufficiency, and hepatic insufficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
The most common cause of late death after liver transplantation is ductopenic rejection, followed by complications of retransplantation and sepsis. Death owing to ductopenic rejection may occur even many years after transplantation.
Coelho
Júlio Cézar Uili
JC
Serviço de Transplante Hepático do Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
Parolin
Mônica B
MB
Matias
Jorge Eduardo Fouto
JE
Jorge
Fernando Marcus Felipe
FM
Canan Júnior
Lady Wilson
LW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000401:mortality; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis