Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after pediatric liver transplantation: characteristics and outcome.
Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) is a life threatening complication in organ transplant recipients. Risk factors include primary Epstein-Barr virus infection, intensity of immunosupression and cytomegalovirus infection.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, histopathologic appearance and outcome of pediatric liver recipients with PTLD at our institution.


METHODS
Retrospective, descriptive and observational analysis. Between November 1992 and December 2005, 383 liver transplants were performed. The diagnosis of PTLD was based on clinical history and physical examination and confirmed by histologic appearance and immunohistologic staining. Knowles' classification was used for histopathologic diagnosis.


RESULTS
The incidence of PTLD was 5.7% (n: 22p). The average onset after tansplantation (OLT) was 24.9 months. Clinical manifestations were malaise, anorexia, fever of more than 3 days, peripheral adenopathy, tonsillar hypertrophy, abdominal mass, hepatosplenomegaly, snoring, interstitial pulmonary infiltrate, G.T.-tract bleeding, rash, submaxilar mass. Histopathologic diagnosis were Plasmocytic Hyperplasia (n: 10), Polymorphic Lymphoproliferative Disorder (n: 8), Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (n: 4). Mortality was 18%.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical presentations were protean and not specific. A high index of suspicion is important for early diagnosis as it correlates with more benign lesions and more favorable outcume. The lower mortality rate in our series is concordant with that reported in more recent articles.
Fernández
María C
MC
Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital Nacional de Pediatría, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mcfernan1@yahoo.com.ar
Bes
David
D
De Dávila
María
M
López
Susana
S
Cambaceres
Carlos
C
Dip
Marcelo
M
Imventarza
Oscar
O
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors