In-hospital cerebrovascular complications following orthotopic liver transplantation: a retrospective study.
BACKGROUND
Cerebrovascular complications are severe events following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study aimed to observe the clinical and neuroimaging features and possible risk factors of in-hospital cerebrovascular complications in the patients who underwent OLT.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 337 consecutive patients who underwent 358 OLTs. Cerebrovascular complications were determined by clinical and neuroimaging manifestations, and the possible risk factors were analyzed in the patients with intracranial hemorrhage.


RESULTS
Ten of 337 (3.0%) patients developed in-hospital cerebrovascular complications (8 cases experienced intracranial hemorrhage and 2 cases had cerebral infarction), and 6 of them died. The clinical presentations were similar to common stroke, but with rapid deterioration at early stage. The hematomas on brain CT scan were massive, irregular, multifocal and diffuse, and most of them were located at brain lobes and might enlarge or rebleed. Infarcts presented lacunar and multifocal lesions in basal gangliar but with possible hemorrhagic transformation. The patients with intracranial hemorrhage had older age and a more frequency of systemic infection than non-intracranial hemorrhage patients. (P = 0.011 and 0.029, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Posttransplant cerebrovascular complications have severe impact on outcome of the patients who received OLT. Older age and systemic infection may be the possible risk factors of in-hospital intracranial hemorrhage following OLT.
Ling
Li
L
Department of Neurology and Stroke Centre, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No, 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, PR China.
He
Xiaoshun
X
Zeng
Jinsheng
J
Liang
Zhijian
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult