title: Neurological complications after liver transplantation.
abstract: This was a single-centre, prospective study to assess the frequency of neurological complications and their impact on prolonged hospitalization in 137 liver transplant patients presenting between September 1997 and June 2010. Neurological complications were seen in 22 (16%) patients  during their postoperative stay in the intensive care unit. Complications included new-onset, recurrent headache (five patients), generalized seizures (four patients), dysarthria (two patients), delirium with agitation (three patients), persistent flapping tremor (two patients), alteration  in level of consciousness (three patients), central pontine myelinolysis (one patient), myopathy (one patient) and visual hallucinations (one patient). Seizures were associated with immunosuppressive drug toxicity (tacrolimus). Myopathy presenting as quadriplegia was diagnosed by muscle biopsy.  The patient with central pontine myelinolysis lived in a persistent vegetative state for 2 years and died of pneumonia. In conclusion, neurological complications are frequently encountered after liver transplantation, and are an important cause of severe morbidity and prolonged intensive care  unit and hospital stay.
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. muryigit@yahoo.com
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Yilmaz
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Cengiz
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sanli
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Yegin
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mesci
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dinckan
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Hadimioglu
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dosemeci
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ramazanoglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents