Hungry Bone Syndrome After Living Donor Liver Transplant for Biliary Atresia.

ABSTRACT

Hungry bone syndrome is a rare but potentially lethal complication that is characterized by rapid, severe, long-lasting hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia secondary to increased bone metabolism. We present a case of hungry bone syndrome after living donor liver transplant for biliary atresia. Following a failed Kasai procedure for biliary atresia, a 5-month-old boy underwent living donor liver transplant with reduced left lateral lobe from his father. Despite the oral administration of alfacalcidol, the patient exhibited severe craniotabes before the surgery. He developed severe hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia im-mediately after liver transplant and required supplementation of calcium and phosphorus for 1 month thereafter. After serum levels of calcium and phosphate had normalized, there was a rapid increase in the serum bone-type alkaline phosphatase level, and the craniotabes subsided remarkably. To our knowledge, this is the world's first reported case of hungry bone syndrome after liver transplant for cholestatic cirrhosis. It underscores the importance of strict nutritional and electrolyte management in the perioperative period. A prompt diagnosis and correction of hungry bone syndrome are imperative to prevent the associated significant morbidity and mortality.