title: Successful identical-twin living donor small bowel transplant for necrotizing enterovasculitis secondary to Churg-Strauss syndrome.
abstract: Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a granulomatous small-vessel vasculitis with unknown etiology. Extra-pulmonary manifestations of CSS are currently treated with a combination of steroids and Cyclophosphamide. Its gastrointestinal complications may be devastating, occasionally requiring extensive bowel resection resulting in short-gut syndrome. Living-related small bowel transplantation (LRSBTx) is a relatively standardized procedure that, not only represents a valid alternative to cadaver bowel transplant in selected cases, but also portraits excellent results when performed in experienced centers. The availability of an identical twin as a donor, which allows avoidance of immunosuppressive therapy, is a major indication for this procedure. We present the case of a young individual affected by gastrointestinal necrotizing vasculitis that lost almost his entire small bowel requiring the immediate institution of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). However, within few weeks a significant hepatic dysfunction ensued. An identical twin-brother, not affected with CSS, became an immediate, optimal donor-candidate for LRSBTx, the first of this kind in a patient affected with CSS. Following the procedure, two main concerns were addressed: the recipient's ability to recover a regular intestinal function without immunosuppression and the possible recurrence of the primary disease. Twenty-seven months post-transplant, the patient enjoys a regular lifestyle without any clinical, endoscopic and histologic evidences of recurrent disease in the transplanted graft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schena
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Setty
authors.forename: Herand
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abcarian
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D012778:Short Bowel Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D013577:Syndrome; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014180:Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000628:therapy*