Factors affecting catch-up growth after liver transplantation

The reported incidence of catch-up growth following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) ranges widely, from 0% to 97%.

We undertook bivariate analysis of multiple factors that might affect post-OLT growth in children undergoing OLT, and described the results with different parameters used to determine catch-up growth.

Eighty patients met the inclusion criteria.

Catch-up growth occurred in 14% during the first 6 months, 15% at 1 year, 39% at 2 years, 16% between 3 and 6 years, and 16% after 6 years post-OLT. The earlier catch-up growth was shown in metabolic diagnosis, patients over 10 years old and those without steroids at 1 year post-OLT.

It is difficult to determine an acceptable definition of catch-up growth. We suggest that Zvel score > or =0 is the best parameter to evaluate catch-up growth, since the results are more normally distributed. Patients with prednisone withdrawal later than 1 year post-OLT and those with diagnosis of hepatitis and cirrhosis showed the slowest catch-up growth.