Hepatopulmonary syndrome in children-an update

Respiratory problems associated with liver disease in children

Respiratory manifestations of chronic liver disease have a profound impact on patient clinical outcomes. Certain conditions within paediatric liver disease have an associated respiratory pathology. This overlap between liver and respiratory manifestations can result in complex challenges when managing patients and requires clinicians to be able to recognise when referral to specialists is required. While liver transplantation is at the centre of treatment, it opens up further potential for respiratory complications. It is established that these complications place patients at risk of longer stays in hospital and reduced survival. Additionally, late post-transplant complications can occur, including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease and immunosuppression-induced interstitial lung disease. Although rare, it is important for clinicians to recognise these conditions to allow for prompt management. Finally, as liver disease progresses in children, respiratory complications can occur. Hepatopulmonary syndrome can occur in the context of portal hypertension, resulting in increased mortality and poorer quality of life for patients. Another consequence is portopulmonary hypertension, which can be associated with poor survival. Failure to recognise these complications in children may result in poorer outcomes and therefore it is vital that clinicians can establish when referral to a paediatric respiratory medicine specialist is required.

Hepatopulmonary Syndrome in Children: A 20-Year Review of Presenting Symptoms, Clinical Progression, and Transplant Outcome

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in stable patients with cirrhosis can easily be overlooked. We report on the presenting symptoms, disease progression, and outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) in children with HPS. Twenty patients were diagnosed with HPS between 1996 and 2016. The etiologies were as follows: biliary atresia (n = 9); alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (n = 2); cryptogenic liver disease (n = 3); and others (n = 6). HPS presentations were as follows; dyspnea (n = 17) and pneumonia (n = 3). For diagnostic confirmation, the following techniques were used: technetium-99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin lung perfusion scan (n = 13) or contrast echocardiogram (n = 7). There were 16 patients listed for LT, with a median age at HPS diagnosis of 10 years and an average wait from listing to LT of 9 weeks. A marked rise in hemoglobin (Hb; median, 125-143.5 g/L) and modest decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO₂ ; median 91% to 88% room air) were evident over this time. Patients' need for assisted ventilation (1 day), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay (3 days), and total hospital stay (20 days) were similar to our general LT recipients-the key difference in the postoperative period was the duration of supplementary O₂ requirement. Hb of ≥130 g/L on the day of LT correlated with a longer PICU stay (P value = 0.02), duration of supplementary O₂ (P value = 0.005), and the need for the latter beyond 7 days after LT (P value = 0.01). Fifteen patients had resolution of their HPS after LT. The 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival rates were unchanged at 87.5%. None had a recurrence of HPS. In conclusion, HPS is a life-threatening complication of cirrhosis which usually develops insidiously. This combined with the often-stable nature of the liver disease leads to delays in diagnosis and listing for LT. Progressive polycythemia extends the need for supplementary O₂ and PICU stay. We advocate screening for HPS with a combination of SpO₂ and Hb monitoring to facilitate earlier recognition, timely LT, and shortened recovery periods.

Unexplained cyanosis caused by hepatopulmonary syndrome in a girl with APECED syndrome

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy, candidiasis and ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare but devastating primary immunodeficiency disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene on chromosome 21q22.3. The clinical spectrum of the disease is characterized by a wide heterogeneity because of autoimmune reactions toward different endocrine and non-endocrine organs. Here, we report a 17-year-old Turkish girl diagnosed with APECED at 9 years in whom a novel homozygote mutation in AIRE gene p.R15H (c.44G>A) was found. In the clinical course of the patient, chronic liver disease due to autoimmune hepatitis has evolved resulting in hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) which has not been reported before in patients with APECED.