Two difficulty diagnosis cases of severe veno-occlusive disease.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is rale liver disease. However, severe VOD is often lethal and one of the most common causes of death following stem cell transplantation (SCT). CASE REPORTS: Case 1 was a 30-year-old woman who was diagnosed as Budd-Chiari syndrome with liver failure. She was admitted to our department to undergo liver transplantation. Four days after admission, she underwent liver transplantation. Her liver explant showed VOD. Case 2 was a 74-year-old woman who was admitted to a community hospital for further examination. Her condition continued to deteriorate with liver failure, and she died 39 days after admission. Liver autopsy also showed VOD. Either of the patients had difficulty in diagnose as VOD. Neither of the patients had a history of SCT. CONCLUSIONS: VOD should be considered as a cause of acute hepatic failure, even if the patient has no history of SCT.