Understanding the Elevated Lethality of COVID-19 in Liver Transplant Recipients: Does Immunosuppression Management Matter? Results from a Brazilian Multicentric Historical Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Infections by SARS-CoV-2 in liver transplant recipients (LT) patients are of particular concern, notably due to perceived added risks related to immunosuppression and comorbidity burden. Current literature on this topic often relies on small, non-standardized, and geographically limited studies. This manuscript describes COVID-19 presentations and causes for elevated mortality in a large cohort of LT recipients. METHODS: This study was designed as a multicentric historical cohort, including LT recipient patients with COVID-19 in 25 study centers, with the primary endpoint being COVID-related death. We also collected demographic, clinical, and laboratory data regarding presentation and disease progression. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-four cases were included. The study population was predominantly male and White and had a median age of 60 years. The median time from transplantation was 2.6 years (IQR 1-6). Most patients had at least one comorbidity (189, 80.8%). Patient age (P = .04), dyspnea (P < .001), intensive care unit admission (P < .001), and mechanical ventilation (P < .001) were associated with increased mortality. Modifications of immunosuppressive therapy (P < .001), specifically the suspension of tacrolimus, maintained significance in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Attention to risk factors and the individualization of patient care, especially regarding immunosuppression management, is crucial for delivering more precise interventions to these individuals.

Renal autotransplantation to treat renal artery aneurysm: case report / Autotransplante renal para tratamento de aneurisma de artéria renal: relato de caso

CONTEXT: Renal artery aneurysm (RAA) is uncommon and usually asymptomatic, but complications like rupture or thromboembolism of the aneurysm can occur, with consequent renal infarction. Most of the clinical findings are found incidentally through imaging examinations, in investigating other diseases. Renal autotransplantation (RAT) is an alternative treatment for complex RAA, with satisfactory results described in the literature. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 48-year-old man with a history of systemic arterial hypertension, thrombocytopenia and advanced hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. He complained of right lumbar pain, which was investigated through imaging examinations (computed tomography and angiotomography). These revealed right RAA of 2.5 cm in diameter. Evaluation by the vascular surgery team found that this was untreatable using endovascular methods. The treatment performed was open right nephrectomy with kidney preservation in solution, followed by aneurysmectomy, suturing of the injured artery and kidney reimplantation in the right iliac fossa with anastomosis of the iliac vessels and ureter. The durations of the surgery and kidney ischemia were 385 and 140 minutes, respectively. The patient was discharged on the 20th postoperative day, with creatinine concentration of 1.4 mg/dL, urea 41 mg/dL, urine volume 1400 mL/24 h and ascites treated with diuretics. CONCLUSION: RAT is indicated basically in three situations: extracorporeal reconstruction of complex aneurysms of the renal pedicle, extensive ureteral injury, and conservative kidney cancer surgery in patients with a single kidney. This study presents a case of a patient with advanced liver disease and RAA that was untreatable using endovascular methods and was successfully treated using RAT. .

CONTEXTO: O aneurisma de artéria renal (AAR) é incomum e, em geral, assintomático, mas podem ocorrer complicações como rotura ou embolia de trombos do aneurisma com consequente infarto renal. A maioria dos achados clínicos é encontrada acidentalmente por exames de imagem na investigação de outras doenças. O autotransplante renal (ATR) constitui-se em alternativa de tratamento de AAR com resultados satisfatórios descritos na literatura. RELATO DE CASO: Paciente masculino, 48 anos, com histórico de hipertensão arterial sistêmica, plaquetopenia e esquistossomose hepatoesplênica avançada. Referia dor lombar direita que após exames de imagem (tomografia computadorizada e angiotomografia) revelou AAR direita com 2,5 cm de diâmetro não tratável por via endovascular após avaliação da equipe de cirurgia vascular. O tratamento realizado foi uma nefrectomia aberta direita com preservação renal em solução, seguida de aneurismectomia, sutura da artéria lesada e reimplante do rim na fossa ilíaca direita com anastomoses dos vasos ilíacos e do ureter. O tempo cirúrgico e de isquemia renal foram de 385 e 140 minutos, respectivamente. Recebeu alta hospitalar no vigésimo dia do pós-operatório, com concentrações de creatinina de 1,4 mg/dL, ureia de 41 mg/dL, volume urinário de 1400 mL/24 h e ascite tratada com diuréticos. CONCLUSÃO: O ATR está indicado basicamente em três casos: reconstrução extracorpórea de aneurismas complexos do pedículo renal, lesão ureteral extensa e cirurgia conservadora de câncer renal em pacientes com único rim. Este estudo apresenta caso de paciente com doença hepática avançada e AAR intratável por método endovascular e tratado com sucesso por ATR. .

Renal autotransplantation to treat renal artery aneurysm: case report.

CONTEXT: Renal artery aneurysm (RAA) is uncommon and usually asymptomatic, but complications like rupture or thromboembolism of the aneurysm can occur, with consequent renal infarction. Most of the clinical findings are found incidentally through imaging examinations, in investigating other diseases. Renal autotransplantation (RAT) is an alternative treatment for complex RAA, with satisfactory results described in the literature. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 48-year-old man with a history of systemic arterial hypertension, thrombocytopenia and advanced hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. He complained of right lumbar pain, which was investigated through imaging examinations (computed tomography and angiotomography). These revealed right RAA of 2.5 cm in diameter. Evaluation by the vascular surgery team found that this was untreatable using endovascular methods. The treatment performed was open right nephrectomy with kidney preservation in solution, followed by aneurysmectomy, suturing of the injured artery and kidney reimplantation in the right iliac fossa with anastomosis of the iliac vessels and ureter. The durations of the surgery and kidney ischemia were 385 and 140 minutes, respectively. The patient was discharged on the 20th postoperative day, with creatinine concentration of 1.4 mg/dL, urea 41 mg/dL, urine volume 1400 mL/24 h and ascites treated with diuretics. CONCLUSION: RAT is indicated basically in three situations: extracorporeal reconstruction of complex aneurysms of the renal pedicle, extensive ureteral injury, and conservative kidney cancer surgery in patients with a single kidney. This study presents a case of a patient with advanced liver disease and RAA that was untreatable using endovascular methods and was successfully treated using RAT.

Liver transplantation for neotropical polycystic echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus vogeli: a case report.

Neotropical polycystic echinococcosis (NPE) is a parasitic disease caused by cestodes of Echinococcus vogeli. This parasite grows most commonly in the liver, where it produces multiples cysts that cause hepatic and vessel necrosis, infects the biliary ducts, and disseminates into the peritoneal cavity, spreading to other abdominal and thoracic organs. In cases of disseminated disease in the liver and involvement of biliary ducts or portal system, liver transplantation may be a favorable option. We present a report of the first case of liver transplantation for the treatment of advanced liver NPE caused by E. vogeli.

Liver transplantation for neotropical polycystic echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus vogeli: a case report

Neotropical polycystic echinococcosis (NPE) is a parasitic disease caused by cestodes of Echinococcus vogeli. This parasite grows most commonly in the liver, where it produces multiples cysts that cause hepatic and vessel necrosis, infects the biliary ducts, and disseminates into the peritoneal cavity, spreading to other abdominal and thoracic organs. In cases of disseminated disease in the liver and involvement of biliary ducts or portal system, liver transplantation may be a favorable option. We present a report of the first case of liver transplantation for the treatment of advanced liver NPE caused by E. vogeli.

Derivação esplenorrenal distal com a interposição de enxerto de veia mesentérica inferior: Relato de caso / Use of inferior mesenteric vein as an interposition graft for distal renal shunt: case report

Hemorragia digestiva alta por ruptura de varizes esofágicas é uma gravecomplicação da hipertensão portal em pacientes cirróticos. Quando osangramento está associado à trombose venosa portal, os procedimentosendoscópicos ou anastomose (shunt) portossistêmica intra-hepáticatransjugular (TIPS) são difíceis e menos eficientes. Nesta situação, aanastomose esplenorrenal distal é uma boa alternativa. O objetivo é discutiruma anastomose esplenorrenal distal com a utilização de enxerto autólogode veia mesentérica inferior. Relatamos o caso de um paciente do sexomasculino, 52 anos, portador de cirrose hepática alcoólica e trombosede veia porta. Evoluiu com nove episódios de hemorragia digestiva alta,apesar do tratamento endoscópico. Como sua função hepática permaneciaboa, a anastomose esplenorrenal distal foi considerada a melhor opção terapêutica. Foi realizada uma anastomose esplenorrenal distal, cominterposição de enxerto autólogo de veia mesentérica inferior, em virtudede eventos inesperados durante a dissecção da veia esplênica. Nãoocorreram complicações pós-operatórias.

Upper digestive bleeding due to rupture of esophageal varices is asevere complication of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. Whenit is associated with portal vein thrombosis, transjugular intrahepaticportosystemic shunt or endoscopic procedures are difficult and lesseffective. In this situation, splenorenal shunt is a good alternative.The aim was to discuss a distal splenorenal shunt with autologousinferior mesenteric vein graft. We report a case of a male patient, 52years old, suffering from alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis and portal veinthrombosis. He had nine episodes of upper digestive bleeding, in spiteof endoscopic treatment. His hepatic function remained good and distalsplenorenal shunt was chosen as the best therapeutic option. Theinferior mesenteric vein was used as an interposition graft for distalrenal shunt due to unexpected events during splenic vein dissection.Postoperative recovery went uneventfully.

Retransplante de pâncreas solitário: Estudo de 22 casos / Solitary pancreas retransplant: Study of 22 cases

O objetivo deste trabalho foi apresentar a experiência dos autores com retransplante de pâncreas em pacientes previamente submetidos a transplantesimultâneo de pâncreas-rim, transplante de pâncreas após rim, e transplante de pâncreas isolado. Entre janeiro/1996 adezembro/2005 foram realizados 330 transplantes de pâncreas, sendo 308 transplantes primários e 22 (6%) retransplantes de pâncreas solitário. Foram analisados: a idade dos pacientes; o tempo médio decorrido entre o 1º e o 2º transplantes; as causasde perda do primeiro enxerto; as características técnicas do transplante e do retransplante e os critérios de seleção dos doadores para a captação de pâncreas para o retransplante.Resultados: A idade média dos pacientes foi de 34,3 anos e o tempo médio decorrido entre os transplantes foi de 19,3 meses. As causas de perda do primeiro enxerto pancreático foram:trombose venosa em 8 (35%), arterial em 5 (23%), rejeição crônicaem 4 (18%), lesão de isquemia reperfusão em 2, pancreatite derefluxo em 1, não função primária em 1 e sepse em 1 caso. Em 16 (72%) casos, o segundo transplante foi realizado na mesma fossa ilíaca do anterior. A drenagem venosa foi realizada na veia ilíaca em 16 (72%), veia cava inferior em 5 (22%) e veia porta em 1 caso.A drenagem foi exócrina vesical em 18 (82%) e entérica em 4 (18%) casos. O esquema de imunossupressão foi quádruplo seqüencial em todos os casos, com uso de antilinfocítico, tacrolimus, micofenolato mofetil e esteróides. Houve apenas um óbito devido a sepse, com sobrevidas em 1 ano de paciente eenxerto de 95% e 85%, respectivamente. Não houve risco adicional quando a retirada do enxerto primário foi feita no momento doretransplante. O retransplante de pâncreas foi tecnicamente possível em todos os casos e propiciou resultadossemelhantes ao transplante primário de pâncreas.