Intrahepatic portal cavernoma as an indication for liver transplantation.
Cavernous transformation of the portal vein (portal cavernoma) consists of a periportal or/and intrahepatic venous collateral network, developed as a result of acute or long-standing portal vein thrombosis. Better control of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications in the patients with portal cavernoma substantially improves their life span and the clinical outcome. However, biliary complications that occur in the late stages of this disease have been recently recognized as challenging management issues because they recur and are difficult to treat. Because of the relatively small number of the patients with cholangiopathy due to portal cavernoma, there is no current standardized treatment approach. We report the case of a predominantly intrahepatic portal cavernoma occurring in a patient with chronic idiopathic portal vein thrombosis, which led to severe cholangiopathy that mimicked primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma, was unresponsive to endoscopic stent placement, and finally required liver transplantation.
Hajdu
Cristina H
CH
Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Murakami
Takahiro
T
Diflo
Thomas
T
Taouli
Bachir
B
Laser
Jordan
J
Teperman
Lewis
L
Petrovic
Lydia M
LM
D000328:Adult; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome