title: Liver transplantation in children with fulminant hepatic failure: The UCL experience.
abstract: The outcome of pediatric LT for FHF was shown to be poor in our center. To better understand such results, recipient and transplant parameters with a putative impact on post-transplant outcome were analyzed in LT for FHF. Between March 1984 and June 2002, 33 children with FHF received a primary liver allograft. The overall results in this series were studied with respect to pre-operative demographic and metabolic variables, peri-operative events, and outcome. Five-yr patient and graft survivals were 71% and 66%, respectively, with a retransplantation rate at 18%. Incidences of perioperative hemorrhage, of HAT and PVT were 14%, 8%, and 4%, respectively. Five-yr acute rejection-free survival rate was 55%. These data confirm the worse outcome following LT for FHF when compared with LT in elective, non-malignant indications such as BA; results in FHF could not be related to surgical or immunological complications in the post-transplant period and it is hypothesized that the MOF associated with FHF contributes to early post-transplant mortality which would justify special management, including aggressive renal and hepatic support.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Liver Transplant Program, St Luc University Clinics, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Parikshat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahadeb
authors.forename: Jérémie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gras
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sokal
authors.forename: Jean-Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lerut
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Detaille
authors.forename: Stéphan Clément
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: de Cléty
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reding
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome