Liver transplantation for HCC in cirrhosis: Are Milan criteria outdated?

In Germany, organ allocation is based on the MELD-system and lab-MELD is usually low in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis. Higher medical urgency can be achieved by standard exception for HCC (SE-HCC), if Milan criteria (MC) are met. Noteworthy, UNOS T2 reflects MC, but excludes singular lesions < 2 cm. Thus, SE-HCC is awarded to patients with one lesion between 2 and 5 cm or 2 to 3 lesions between 1 and 3 cm. These criteria are static and do not reflect biological properties of HCC.We present a retrospective cohort of 111 patients, who underwent liver transplantation at UKSH, Campus Kiel between 2007 and 2017. No difference was found in overall survival for patient cohorts using Milan, UCSF, up-to-seven, and French-AFP criteria. However, there was a significantly reduced survival, if microvascular invasion was detected in the explanted organ and in patients with HCC-recurrence. The exclusive use of static selection criteria including MC appear to limit the access to liver transplantation.

Utilization of livers donated after circulatory death for transplantation - An international comparison.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver graft utilization rates are a hot topic due to the worldwide organ shortage and the increasing number of transplant candidates on waiting lists. Liver perfusion techniques have been introduced in several countries, and may help to increase the organ supply, as they potentially enable the assessment of livers before use. METHODS: Liver offers were counted from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors (Maastricht type III) arising during the past decade in eight countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Initial type-III DCD liver offers were correlated with accepted, recovered and implanted livers. RESULTS: A total number of 34,269 DCD livers were offered, resulting in 9,780 liver transplants (28.5%). The discard rates were highest in the UK and US, ranging between 70 and 80%. In contrast, much lower DCD liver discard rates, e.g. between 30-40%, were found in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In addition, we observed large differences in the use of various machine perfusion techniques, as well as in graft and donor risk factors. For example, the median donor age and functional donor warm ischemia time were highest in Italy, e.g. >40 min, followed by Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Importantly, such varying risk profiles of accepted DCD livers between countries did not translate into large differences in 5-year graft survival rates, which ranged between 60-82% in this analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, DCD liver discard rates across the eight countries were high, although this primarily reflects the situation in the Netherlands, the UK and the US. Countries where in situ and ex situ machine perfusion strategies were used routinely had better DCD utilization rates without compromised outcomes. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: A significant number of Maastricht type III DCD livers are discarded across Europe and North America today. The overall utilization rate among eight Western countries is 28.5% but varies significantly between 18.9% and 74.2%. For example, the median DCD-III liver utilization in five countries, e.g. Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain is 65%, in contrast to 24% in the Netherlands, UK and US. Despite this, and despite different rules and strategies for organ acceptance and preservation, 1- and 5-year graft survival rates remain fairly similar among all participating countries. A highly varying experience with modern machine perfusion technology was observed. In situ and ex situ liver perfusion concepts, and application of assessment tools for type-III DCD livers before transplantation, may be a key explanation for the observed differences in DCD-III utilization.

Waitlist mortality of young patients with biliary atresia: Impact of allocation policy and living donor liver transplantation.

Patients with biliary atresia (BA) below 2 years of age in need of a transplantation largely rely on partial grafts from deceased donors (deceased donor liver transplantation [DDLT]) or living donors (living donor liver transplantation [LDLT]). Because of high waitlist mortality in especially young patients with BA, the Eurotransplant Liver Intestine Advisory Committee (ELIAC) has further prioritized patients with BA listed before their second birthday for allocation of a deceased donor liver since 2014. We evaluated whether this Eurotransplant (ET) allocation prioritization changed the waitlist mortality of young patients with BA. We used a pre-post cohort study design with the implementation of the new allocation rule between the two periods. Participants were patients with BA younger than 2 years who were listed for liver transplantation in the ET database between 2001 and 2018. Competing risk analyses were performed to assess waitlist mortality in the first 2 years after listing. We analyzed a total of 1055 patients with BA, of which 882 had been listed in the preimplementation phase (PRE) and 173 in the postimplementation phase (POST). Waitlist mortality decreased from 6.7% in PRE to 2.3% in POST ( p = 0.03). Interestingly, the proportion of young patients with BA undergoing DDLT decreased from 32% to 18% after ET allocation prioritization ( p = 0.001), whereas LDLT increased from 55% to 74% ( p = 0.001). The proportional increase in LDLT decreased the median waitlist duration of transplanted patients from 1.5 months in PRE to 0.85 months in POST ( p = 0.003). Since 2014, waitlist mortality in young patients with BA has strongly decreased in the ET region. Rather than associated with prioritized allocation of deceased donor organs, the decreased waitlist mortality was related to a higher proportion of patients undergoing LDLT.

Retransplanting a previously transplanted kidney: A safe strategy in times of organ shortage?

BACKGROUND: The shortage of organs for transplantation remains a global problem. The retransplantation of a previously transplanted kidney might be a possibility to expand the pool of donors. We provide our experience with the successful reuse of transplanted kidneys in the Eurotransplant region. METHODS: A query in the Eurotransplant database was performed between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2015, to find kidney donors who themselves had previously received a kidney graft. RESULTS: Nine out of a total of 68,554 allocated kidneys had previously been transplanted. Four of these kidneys were transplanted once again. The mean interval between the first transplant and retransplantation was 1689±1682 days (SD; range 55-5,333 days). At the time of the first transplantation the mean serum creatinine of the donors was 1.0 mg/dl (.6-1.3 mg/dl) and at the second transplantation 1.4 mg/dl (.8-1.5 mg/dl). The mean graft survival in the first recipient was 50 months (2-110 months) and in the second recipient 111 months (40-215 months). CONCLUSION: Transplantation of a previously transplanted kidney may successfully be performed with well-preserved graft function and long-term graft survival, even if the first transplantation was performed a long time ago. Such organs should be considered even for younger recipients in carefully selected cases.

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of the brachial plexus shows specific changes in nerve architecture in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy and motor neuron disease.

BACKGROUND: The immunological pathophysiologies of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) differ considerably, but neither has been elucidated completely. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging, T2 mapping, and fat fraction analysis may indicate in vivo pathophysiological changes in nerve architecture. Our study aimed to systematically study nerve architecture of the brachial plexus in patients with CIDP, MMN, motor neuron disease (MND) and healthy controls using these quantitative MRI techniques. METHODS: We enrolled patients with CIDP (n = 47), MMN (n = 29), MND (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 10). All patients underwent MRI of the brachial plexus and we obtained diffusion parameters, T2 relaxation times and fat fraction using an automated processing pipeline. We compared these parameters between groups using a univariate general linear model. RESULTS: Fractional anisotropy was lower in patients with CIDP compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), patients with MND (p = 0.010) and MMN (p < 0.001). Radial diffusivity was higher in patients with CIDP compared to healthy controls (p = 0.015) and patients with MND (p = 0.001) and MMN (p < 0.001). T2 relaxation time was elevated in patients with CIDP compared to patients with MND (p = 0.023). Fat fraction was lower in patients with CIDP and MMN compared to patients with MND (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results show that quantitative MRI parameters differ between CIDP, MMN and MND, which may reflect differences in underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Low interrater reliability of brachial plexus MRI in chronic inflammatory neuropathies.

INTRODUCTION: Magnetic resonance imaging of the brachial plexus shows nerve thickening in approximately half of the patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). The reliability of qualitative evaluation of brachial plexus MRI has not been studied previously. METHODS: We performed an interrater study in a retrospective cohort of 19 patients with CIDP, 17 patients with MMN, and 14 controls. The objective was to assess interrater variability between radiologists by using a predefined scoring system that allowed the distinction of no, possible, or definite nerve thickening. RESULTS: Raters agreed in 26 of 50 (52%) brachial plexus images; κ-coefficient was 0.30 (SE 0.08, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.46, P < .0005). DISCUSSION: Our results provide evidence that interrater reliability of qualitative evaluation of brachial plexus MRI is low. Objective criteria for abnormality are required to optimize the diagnostic value of MRI for inflammatory neuropathies.

Optimizing the Use of Geriatric Livers for Transplantation in the Eurotransplant Region.

Acceptance criteria for liver allografts are ever more expanding because of a persisting wait-list mortality. Older livers are therefore offered and used more frequently for transplantation. This study aims to analyze the use and longterm outcome of these transplantations. Data were included on 17,811 first liver transplantations (LTs) and information on livers that were reported for allocation but not transplanted from 2000 to 2015 in the Eurotransplant (ET) region. Graft survival was defined as the period between transplantation and date of retransplantation or date of recipient death. In the study period, 2394 (13%) transplantations were performed with livers ≥70 years old. Graft survival was 74%, 57%, and 41% at 1-, 5-, and 10-year follow-up, respectively. A history of diabetes mellitus in the donor (hazard ratio [HR], 1.3; P = 0.01) and positive hepatitis C virus antibody in the recipient (HR, 1.5; P < 0.001) are specific risk factors for transplantations with livers ≥70 years old. Although donor age is associated with a linearly increasing risk of graft loss between 25 and 80 years old, no difference in graft survival could be observed when "preferred" recipients were transplanted with a liver <70 or ≥70 years old (HR 1.1; CI 0.92-1.23, P = 0.40) or with a donor <40 or ≥70 years old (HR 1.2; CI 0.96-1.37, P = 0.13). Utilization of reported livers ≥70 years old increased from 42% in 2000-2003 to 76% in 2013-2015 without a decrease in graft survival (P = 0.45). In conclusion, an important proportion of LTs in the ET region are performed with livers ≥70 years old. The risk of donor age on graft loss increases linearly between 25 and 80 years old. Livers ≥70 years old can, however, be transplanted safely in preferred patients and are to be used more frequently to further reduce wait-list mortality.

Ultrasound of peripheral nerves in neuralgic amyotrophy.

INTRODUCTION: Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) can often be difficult to diagnose. Nerve ultrasound (US) is potentially useful, but it is operator-dependent, especially for small nerves. METHODS: Fifty-one consecutive patients with NA (mean duration 16 months) and 50 control subjects underwent US of the brachial plexus and major nerves of the upper extremity at predefined sites. We compared cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of affected and unaffected sides with controls and sides within patients. RESULTS: The median nerve and radial nerve at the level of the upper arm were enlarged on the affected sides compared with controls and the unaffected sides of patients. Enlargement was most pronounced for affected sides vs. controls (median 44%, radial 67%). DISCUSSION: NA patients showed increased CSAs, especially in the major nerves of the upper limb, even after longer disease duration. This could make US a useful adjunct in diagnosing NA. Muscle Nerve 59:55-59, 2019.

Association between donor age and risk of graft failure after liver transplantation: an analysis of the Eurotransplant database.

Grafts from elderly donors are increasingly used for liver transplantation. As of yet there is no published systematic data to guide the use of specific age cutoffs the effect of elderly donors on patient outcomes must be clarified. This study analyzed the Eurotransplant database (01/01/2000-31/07/2014; N = 26 294) out of whom 8341 liver transplantations were filtered to identify for this analysis. 2162 of the grafts came from donors >60 including 203 from octogenarians ≥80 years. Primary outcome was the risk of graft failure according to donor age using a confounder adjusted Cox-Regression model with frailty terms (or random effects). The proportion of elderly grafts increased during the study period [i.e., octogenarians 0.1% (n = 1) in 2000 to 3.4% (n = 45) in 2013]. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-analyses revealed a reduced survival and a higher risk for graft failure with increasing donor age. Although the age effect was allowed to vary non-linearly, a linear association hazard ratio (HR = 1.1 for a 10 year increase in donor age) was evident. The linearity of the association suggests that there is no particular age at which the effect increases more rapidly, providing no evidence for a cutoff age. In clinical practice, the combination of high donor age with HU-transplantations, hepatitis C, high MELD-scores and long cold ischemic time should be avoided.

Wait-list mortality of young patients with Biliary atresia: Competing risk analysis of a eurotransplant registry-based cohort.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the standard treatment for biliary atresia (BA) patients with end-stage liver disease. The prognosis after LT has steadily improved, but overall prognosis of BA patients is also determined by mortality before LT. We aimed to quantify mortality in young BA patients on the Eurotransplant waiting list and to determine the effect of disease severity and age at time of listing on pretransplant mortality. We used a cohort study design, which incorporated data from the Eurotransplant registry. Participants were 711 BA patients who were below 5 years of age from 5 countries and listed for LT between 2001 and 2014. We applied a competing risk analysis to evaluate simultaneously the outcomes death, LT, and still waiting for a suitable organ. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess 2-year mortality. In a subcohort of 416 children, we performed multivariate analyses between 2-year mortality and disease severity or age, each at listing. Disease severity at listing was quantified by the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, which assesses bilirubin, creatinine, albumin, and international normalized ratio as continuous variables. Two-year wait-list mortality was 7.9%. Age below 6 months and MELD score above 20 points, each at listing, were strongly and independently associated with 2-year mortality (each P < 0.001). A total of 21% of infants who fulfilled both criteria did not survive the first 6 months on the waiting list. In conclusion, our findings quantify mortality among young BA patients on the waiting list and the relative importance of risk factors (age and severity of disease at listing). Our results provide both an evidence base to rationally address high mortality in subgroups and a methodology to assess effects of implemented changes, for example, in allocation rules. Liver Transplantation 24 810-819 2018 AASLD.

Higher retransplantation rate following extended right split-liver transplantation: An analysis from the eurotransplant liver follow-up registry.

Split-liver transplantation has been perceived as an important strategy to increase the supply of liver grafts by creating 2 transplants from 1 allograft. The Eurotransplant Liver Allocation System (ELAS) envisages that the extended right lobes (ERLs) after splitting (usually in the pediatric center) are almost exclusively shipped to a second center. Whether the ELAS policy impacts the graft and patient survival of extended right lobe transplantation (ERLT) in comparison to whole liver transplantation (WLT) recipients remains unclear. Data on all liver transplantations performed between 2007 and 2013 were retrieved from the Eurotransplant Liver Follow-up Registry (n = 5351). Of these, 5013 (269 ERL, 4744 whole liver) could be included. The impact of the transplant type on patient and graft survival was evaluated using univariate and multivariate proportional hazard models adjusting for demographics of donors and recipients. Cold ischemia times were significantly prolonged for ERLTs (P < 0.001). Patient survival was not different between ERLT and WLT. In the univariate analysis, ERLT had a significantly higher risk for retransplantation (P = 0.02). For WLT, the risk for death gradually and significantly increased with laboratory Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores of >20. For ERLT, this effect was seen already with laboratory MELD scores of >14. These results mandate a discussion on how to refine the splitting policy to avoid excess retransplant rates in ERL recipients and to further improve transplant outcomes of these otherwise optimal donor organs. Liver Transplantation 24 26-34 2018 AASLD.

Extremely Painful Multifocal Acquired Predominant Axonal Sensorimotor Neuropathy of the Upper Limb.

The differential diagnosis of upper extremity mononeuritis multiplex includes neuralgic amyotrophy, vasculitic neuropathy, and Lewis-Sumner syndrome. We describe 3 patients initially suspected of neuralgic amyotrophy, who had an extremely painful, protracted, progressive disease course, not fitting one of these established diagnoses. Nerve ultrasonography showed focal caliber changes of the roots, plexus, and limb nerves. Electromyography showed predominant multifocal axonopathy. Ongoing autoimmune neuropathy was suspected. Steroid treatment provided temporary relief, and intravenous immunoglobulin A sustained pain decrease and functional improvement. These patients appear to have extremely painful axonal inflammatory neuropathy, with a good response to immune-modulating treatment.

Disparities in Eurotransplant liver transplantation wait-list outcome between patients with and without model for end-stage liver disease exceptions.

The sickest-first principle in donor-liver allocation can be implemented by allocating organs to patients with cirrhosis with the highest Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. For patients with other risk factors, standard exceptions (SEs) and nonstandard exceptions (NSEs) have been developed. We investigated whether this system of matched MELD scores achieves similar outcomes on the liver transplant waiting list for various diagnostic groups in Eurotransplant (ET) countries with MELD-based individual allocation (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany). A retrospective analysis of the ET wait-list outflow from December 2006 until December 2015 was conducted to investigate the relation of the unified MELD-based allocation to the risk of a negative wait-list outcome (death on the waiting list or delisting as too sick) as opposed to a positive wait-list outcome (transplantation or delisting as recovered). A total of 16,926 patients left the waiting list with a positive (11,580) or negative (5346) outcome; 3548 patients had a SE, and 330 had a NSE. A negative outcome was more common among patients without a SE or NSE (34.3%) than among patients with a SE (22.6%) or NSE (18.6%; P < 0.001). Analysis by model-based recursive partitioning detected 5 risk groups with different relations of matched MELD to a negative outcome. In Germany, we found the following: (1) no SE or NSE, SE for biliary sepsis (BS); (2) SE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), or portopulmonary hypertension (PPH); and (3) SE for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) or polycystic liver disease (PcLD). In Belgium and the Netherlands, we found the following: (4) SE or NSE, or SE for HPS or PPH; and (5) SE for BS, HCC, PcLD, or PSC. In conclusion, SEs and NSEs do not even out risks across different diagnostic groups. Patients with SEs or NSEs appear advantaged toward patients with cirrhosis without SEs or NSEs. Liver Transplantation 23 1256-1265 2017 AASLD.

Increased fascial thickness of the deltoid muscle in dermatomyositis and polymyositis: An ultrasound study.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the use of ultrasound to detect fascial thickening of the deltoid, vastus lateralis (VL), and rectus femoris (RF) muscles in dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). METHODS: Fascial thickness of 7 DM and 5 PM patients was compared with that of healthy controls (n = 54). RESULTS: The deltoid fascial thickness was 2-fold greater in the DM/PM group (1.15 mm vs. 0.54 mm; P < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. Eight patients had markedly thickened deltoid fascia (>5 SD). Only 1 patient with a mild clinical presentation had normal deltoid fascial thickness. Four patients also had fascial thickening of the VL and/or RF. CONCLUSIONS: Deltoid fascial thickness was increased significantly in DM and PM patients, whereas the quadriceps muscle only showed thickened fascia in severely affected patients. This study suggests that a concomitant fasciitis may be present more often than previously believed.

Quantifying the Disadvantage of Small Recipient Size on the Liver Transplantation Waitlist, a Longitudinal Analysis Within the Eurotransplant Region.

BACKGROUND: Small adult patients with end-stage liver disease waitlisted for liver transplantation may face a shortage of size-matched liver grafts. This may result in longer waiting times, increased waitlist removal, and waitlist mortality. This study aims to assess access to transplantation in transplant candidates with below-average bodyweight throughout the Eurotransplant region. METHODS: Patients above 16 y of age listed for liver transplantation between 2010 and 2015 within the Eurotransplant region were eligible for inclusion. The effect of bodyweight on chances of receiving a liver graft was studied in a Cox model corrected for lab-Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score updates fitted as time-dependent variable, blood type, listing for malignant disease, and age. A natural spline with 3 degrees of freedom was used for bodyweight and lab-MELD score to correct for nonlinear effects. RESULTS: At the end of follow-up, the percentage of transplanted, delisted, and deceased waitlisted patients was 49.1%, 17.9%, and 24.3% for patients with a bodyweight <60 kg (n = 1267) versus 60.1%, 15.1%, and 18.6% for patients with a bodyweight ≥60 kg (n = 10 520). To reach comparable chances for transplantation, 60-kg and 50-kg transplant candidates are estimated to need, respectively, up to 2.8 and 4.0 more lab-MELD points than 80-kg transplant candidates. CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing bodyweight was significantly associated with decreased chances to receive a liver graft. This resulted in substantially longer waiting times, higher delisting rates, and higher waitlist mortality for patients with a bodyweight <60 kg.

MRI of the intraspinal nerve roots in patients with chronic inflammatory neuropathies: abnormalities correlate with clinical phenotypes.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) are caused by inflammatory changes of peripheral nerves. It is unknown if the intra-spinal roots are also affected. This MRI study systematically visualized intra-spinal nerve roots, i.e., the ventral and dorsal roots, in patients with CIDP, MMN and motor neuron disease (MND). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in 40 patients with CIDP, 27 with MMN and 34 with MND. All patients underwent an MRI scan of the cervical intra-spinal roots. We systematically measured intra-spinal nerve root sizes bilaterally in the transversal plane at C5, C6 and C7 level. We calculated mean nerve root sizes and compared them between study groups and between different clinical phenotypes using a univariate general linear model. RESULTS: Patients with MMN and CIDP with a motor phenotype had thicker ventral roots compared to patients with CIDP with a sensorimotor phenotype (p = 0.012), while patients with CIDP with a sensory phenotype had thicker dorsal roots compared to patients with a sensorimotor phenotype (p = 0.001) and with MND (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: We here show changes in the morphology of intra-spinal nerve roots in patients with chronic inflammatory neuropathies, compatible with their clinical phenotype.

Prevention and Management of Donor-transmitted Cancer After Liver Transplantation: Guidelines From the ILTS-SETH Consensus Conference.

As with any other intervention in health, liver transplantation (LT) entails a variety of risks, including donor-transmitted cancers (DTCs). At present, 2%-4% of used deceased organ donors are known to have a current or past history of malignancy. The frequency of DTCs is consistently reported at 3-6 cases per 10 000 solid organ transplants, with a similar frequency in the LT setting. A majority of DTCs are occult cancers unknown in the donor at the time of transplantation. Most DTCs are diagnosed within 2 y after LT and are associated with a 51% probability of survival at 2 y following diagnosis. The probability of death is greatest for DTCs that have already metastasized at the time of diagnosis. The International Liver Transplantation Society-Sociedad Española de Trasplante Hepático working group on DTC has provided guidance on how to minimize the occurrence of DTCs while avoiding the unnecessary loss of livers for transplantation both in deceased and living donor LT. The group endorses the Council of Europe classification of risk of transmission of cancer from donor to recipient (minimal, low to intermediate, high, and unacceptable), classifies a range of malignancies in the liver donor into these 4 categories, and recommends when to consider LT, mindful of the risk of DTCs, and the clinical condition of patients on the waiting list. We further provide recommendations to professionals who identify DTC events, stressing the need to immediately alert all stakeholders concerned, so a coordinated investigation and management can be initiated; decisions on retransplantation should be made on a case-by-case basis with a multidisciplinary approach.

Women Leadership in Liver Transplantation-Results of an International Survey.

BACKGROUND: The International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS) has placed a strong focus on achieving gender equality and equity in liver transplant (LT). We aimed to understand gender distribution in leadership positions among LT physicians around the world and within ILTS. METHODS: In 2019, the ILTS Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee distributed a survey to obtain granular data on gender and characteristics of transplant physicians as well as those in leadership positions in each center. Additionally, data were collected on the gender composition of the ILTS membership, council, chairpersons, and committees and from the United Network for Organ Sharing. RESULTS: Data were collected from 243 transplant centers. Thirty-two (13.2%) had at least 1 woman as the director of LT, chief of transplant surgery, or chief of transplant hepatology. Of the 243 centers, 133 reported the age and gender of the leadership personnel. Women physicians comprised 152 of the 833 transplant surgeons (18.2%) and 298 of the 935 hepatologists (31.9%). Among the 1331 ILTS physician members, 588 (44.2%) provided gender information in their member profiles, and 155 (26.3%) identified themselves as women. Of the 26 ILTS leadership positions, 7 (26.9%) were held by women. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of worldwide gender distribution in the LT physician workforce showed notable gender disparity in LT leadership around the globe and within the ILTS. These data provide a launching point for promoting and achieving gender equality and equity in LT.