The Rate of Hepatic Fibrosis Progression in Patients Post-Fontan.
Pediatr Cardiol 2020;
41:905-909. [PMID:
32125444 DOI:
10.1007/s00246-020-02331-0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This investigation analyzed the rate of hepatic fibrosis progression in post-Fontan patients that underwent hepatic biopsy. The study cohort comprised post-Fontan patients that underwent cardiac catheterization and transvenous liver biopsy between March 2012 and September 2019. We identified 126 patients that met inclusion criteria. Of the 126, 27 (21%) had a lateral tunnel Fontan, and 99 (79%) had an extracardiac Fontan. For the 27 lateral tunnel Fontan patients, age at Fontan was 4 ± 2 years, and for the 99 extracardiac Fontan patients age at Fontan was 4 ± 2 years (p = 0.98). For the 27 lateral tunnel Fontan patients, the average total fibrosis score was 3.0 ± 1.5; and for the 99 extracardiac Fontan patients, the average total fibrosis was 2.7 ± 1.7 (p = 0.48). For the lateral tunnel Fontan patients, the average Fontan duration was 20 ± 6 years; and for the 99 extracardiac Fontan patients, the average Fontan duration was 11 ± 5 years (p < 0.001). For the 27 lateral tunnel Fontan patients, the average rate of fibrosis progression was 0.16 ± 0.10 total fibrosis score/year; and for the 99 extracardiac Fontan patients, the average rate of fibrosis progression was 0.30 ± 0.23 total fibrosis score/year (p < 0.001). In conclusion, our findings suggest that those with extracardiac Fontans have a faster rate of hepatic fibrosis progression than those with lateral tunnel Fontans. More extensive or multi-institutional studies will be needed to confirm these findings and define the clinical significance of discrepant rates of hepatic fibrosis in post-Fontan patients.
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