Transfusion-associated graft versus host disease following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma--a case report

A case of transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma is described in a 53 year-old male patient. The intraoperative bleeding was estimated to be 1220 ml, and he was transfused with 4 units of fresh whole blood. On postoperative day (POD) 12, a fever of 38 degrees C developed, followed by a systemic erythema on POD 14, and a marked progressive leukopenia starting from POD 19. The patient died of multiple organ failure (MOF) on POD 29. Just before death, the results of skin, bone marrow, and liver biopsies had no physical evidence of GVHD. TA-GVHD was found in the HLA typing of the patient's family. This TA-GVHD case was considered to be a reduced immunity due to severe surgical stress or preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), in view of the fact that he was transfused with fresh whole blood during the operation. TA-GVHD has frequently been reported in patients after open heart surgery, but also after hepatectomy. It is therefore necessary to take all available means to prevent it by restricting the use of blood preparations as much as possible, and if hetero blood transfusions are performed, blood should be irradiated prior to transfusion.