title: [Cause of late death in liver transplant recipients].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Transplante Hepático do Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Júlio Cézar Uili
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Mônica B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Parolin
authors.forename: Jorge Eduardo Fouto
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Matias
authors.forename: Fernando Marcus Felipe
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.forename: Lady Wilson
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Canan Júnior
mesh_terms: 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