De novo HBV Hepatitis in a Child with Liver Transplantation.

ABSTRACT

Background: Omental torsion (OT) presents as a rare, infrequent pathology with often non-specific symptoms. This condition occurs when the greater omentum is twisted around its axis, producing perfusion defects and vascular impairment of the organ. This case report describes an overweight 26-year-old Caucasian man presenting with acute abdomen in previous appendectomy, whose definitive surgical diagnosis was omental torsion. Omental torsion is a rare pathology regarding the causes of acute abdomen associated with a challenging diagnosis. Case report We report about a female toddler with liver transplantation due to extrahepatic biliary atresia, who was detected to have positive HBsAg, 27 months after transplantation. Before liver transplantation, routine serologic assessments were negative for HBV infection, the child was vaccinated with three doses of HBV vaccine and developed seroprotective Abs titers. Organ donor was the father, who was negative for HBV infection had negative anti-HBc and had seroprotective titers of anti HBs. A PCR assay in our patient revealed the presence of serum HBV DNA with an increased viral load. The patient started antiviral treatment with Entecavir and had serological response within three months, showing elimination of serum HBV DNA and HBsAg values. Serological investigation of all family members and information from the transplantation unit did not reveal the infection source. Conclusion:de novo Hepatitis B in liver recipients is a rare phenomenon. In donor positive anti-HBc cases, it appears as reactivation of HBV infection. There are very few published cases in which recipients developed de novo HBV hepatitis, despite seronegative HBcAb donors. Caregivers should always be alert for de novo hepatitis B in liver transplanted children as loss of immunity could be an unexpected phenomenon, despite pre-transplant negative serology of the donor and recipient as so as despite seroprotective Abs titers after immunisation of the recipient.