Fontan-associated liver disease: paediatric experience in a reference centre in Colombia

Fontan-associated liver disease is a condition characterised by structural, functional, and clinical alterations secondary to the haemodynamic changes of this circulation.

To describe the experience of a series of paediatric patients with Fontan-associated liver dysfunction.

A retrospective study including 12 patients with Fontan-associated liver disease. Patients were selected from the single-ventricle program at a high-complexity centre in Colombia between 2001 and 2024.

During the study period, 108 patients were in the Fontan stage. Among them, 12 met the criteria for Fontan-associated liver disease (11.1%). The median age at extracardiac Fontan completion was 3.9 years, while the median age at Fontan-associated liver disease diagnosis was 14.5 years. Concomitant protein-losing enteropathy and/or plastic bronchitis were present in 33% of cases. Echocardiographic follow-up showed systolic dysfunction in 41% and diastolic dysfunction in 16% of patients. All patients exhibited some degree of valvular insufficiency, mild in 83.3% and moderate in 16%. Haemodynamic variables at the time of diagnosis did not show significant abnormalities.

Liver disease is a persistent concern in paediatric patients with Fontan physiology, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Healthcare professionals managing these patients should be aware of its early identification and appropriate treatment.