Japanese case of Budd-Chiari syndrome due to hepatic vein thrombosis successfully treated with liver transplantation

Budd-Chiari syndrome: Focus on surgical treatment

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is caused by an obstruction in the hepatic venous outflow tract at various levels from small hepatic veins to the inferior vena cava (IVC) due to thrombosis or fibrous sequelae. This rare disease mainly affects young adults. Risk factors have been identified and patients often have multiple risk factors. Myeloproliferative diseases of atypical presentation account for nearly 50% of patients in Europe and North America countries. Multistep management is required for such patients. Interventional revascularization and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure are indicated after initial anticoagulation therapy, whereas IVC plasty using a patch graft is indicated for obstruction of the IVC. Liver transplantation (LT) is usually indicated as a treatment for liver failure despite various treatments. The outcomes of LT are good, with a 5-year survival after LT of nearly 70%.

Budd-Chiari syndrome and liver transplantation

Budd-Chiari syndrome involves obstruction of hepatic venous outflow tracts at various levels from small hepatic veins to the inferior vena cava and is the result of thrombosis or its fibrous sequelae. There is a conspicuous difference in its etiology in the West and the East. Myeloproliferative disease predominates in the West and obstruction of the vena cava predominates in the East. The clinical presentation and clinical manifestations are so varied that it should be suspected in any patient with acute or chronic liver dysfunction. It should be treated with step-wise management. First-line therapy should be anticoagulation with medical treatment of the underlying illness, and interventional revascularization and TIPS are indicated in the event of a lack of response to medical therapy. Liver transplantation may be indicated as a rescue treatment or for fulminant cases with promising results. This step-by-step strategy has achieved a 5-year transplant-free survival rate of 70% and a 5-year overall survival rate of 90%. Living donor liver transplantation can also be used for patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome if deceased donor livers are scarce, but it requires a difficult procedure particularly with regard to venous outflow reconstruction.

Catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy combined with angioplasty for hepatic vein obstruction in Budd-Chiari syndrome complicated by thrombosis

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of catheter-directed thrombolysis combined with angioplasty in the treatment of hepatic vein obstruction in Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) complicated by thrombosis. In 14 cases of BCS, the patients with hepatic vein obstruction complicated by thrombosis who underwent catheter-directed urokinase thrombolysis, balloon dilatation and/or stent placement were followed up with an ultrasound examination of the liver. Among the 13 cases of successful treatment, one hepatic vein was recanalized in 12 patients (right hepatic vein, seven cases; left hepatic vein, three cases; middle hepatic vein, one case and accessory hepatic vein, one case) and two hepatic veins (right and left) were recanalized in one patient without serious complications, such as bleeding and pulmonary embolism. There was one patient in whom the treatment was unsuccessful. During an average follow-up period of 24.8±19.6 months, hepatic vein restenosis was observed in one patient in the sixth month after opperation; however, a successful result was obtained following a second balloon dilatation. The remaining 12 patients did not demonstrate any recurrence of restenosis or thrombosis. Catheter-directed thrombolysis combined with angioplasty was observed to be an effective and safe method for the treatment of hepatic vein obstruction in BCS complicated by thrombosis.