Early Neurological Complications Following Pediatric Liver Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Transplant Surgery

Background:

• Liver transplantation (LT) is a vital treatment for end-stage liver disease in children.
• Data on early neurological complications (NC) following pediatric LT is limited.
• This study aims to describe the characteristics and clinical findings of NC in pediatric LT recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence and spectrum of early neurological complications (NC) in pediatric liver transplant recipients.
• To identify potential risk factors associated with NC in this population.
• To provide a clinical characterization of neurological issues arising within three months post-LT.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients undergoing LT between 2017 and 2021.
• Data collection from medical records within the first three months post-transplantation.
• Risk factor analysis for neurological complications was performed.

Main Results:

• 17 out of 79 (21.5%) pediatric LT recipients experienced early NC.
• Seizures were the most frequent manifestation (29%), followed by neuropathy (24%) and encephalopathy (18%).
• No significant associations were found between NC and gender, underlying disease, transplant type, pre-transplant neurological symptoms, or coagulopathy; age showed a trend towards higher NC in older children.

Conclusions:

• Early neurological complications are common in pediatric liver transplant recipients, occurring in 21.5% of cases.
• Seizures represent the most prevalent neurological manifestation.
• While specific predisposing factors were not identified in this cohort, understanding the clinical spectrum of these complications is crucial for patient management.