Liver Transplantation in Alstrom Syndrome: A Case Report

Exp Clin Transplant. 2024 Mar;22(3):244-245. doi: 10.6002/ect.2020.0006. Epub 2021 Feb 1.

Abstract

Alstrom syndrome is a genetic disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance and multiple organ failure. Hearing loss, childhood obesity, diabetes mellitus, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are common disorders in this disease. Degree of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ranges from benign steatosis to cirrhosis. Since it first description in 1959, 89 cases have been reported, and none in the literature underwent liver transplant. In this report, we describe a 19-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of hearingloss, obesity, anddiabetes mellitus startedsince childhood. He was evaluated for bloody vomiting, and grade 3 esophageal varices were detected, with liver cirrhosis findings made with abdominal tomography. The patient had a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 23, and deceased donor liver transplant was planned. After an appropriate donor was identified, the patient underwent liver transplant with an operation lasting approximately 6 hours. Cold ischemia time was about 5 hours, and anastomosis time was about 30 minutes. The patient was extubated on posttransplant day 1. On posttransplant day 10, his vital parameters remained normal, but he had blurred consciousness and loss of orientation. Neurological examination and imaging revealed minimal subdural effusion and mild cerebral cortical dysfunction in electroencephalogram. The patient's symptoms improved after medical treatment, and the patient was discharged on day 13 posttransplant. At the month 24 outpatient follow-up, the patient had no problems. Alstrom syndrome is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder with multiple organ failure. Although various degrees of liver disease have been described in the literature that may progress to cirrhosis of the liver, our present case is considered original because of the absence of liver transplant descriptions in the literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alstrom Syndrome / complications
  • Alstrom Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Alstrom Syndrome / genetics
  • Alstrom Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Alstrom Syndrome / surgery
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis
  • Liver Cirrhosis / surgery
  • Liver Transplantation*
  • Male
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult