Disease recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation

With the advent of cyclosporine immunosuppression in the late 1970s, liver transplantation became a widespread modality for the treatment of end-stage liver disease. Several metabolic disorders that produce liver injury, such as Wilson's disease and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, are cured by liver transplantation. However, many other diseases for which transplantation is undertaken may recur in the allograft. As follow-up increases and newer diagnostic modalities become available, those diseases that recur, and their natural histories, are becoming better understood. This new information may lead to a reevaluation of the suitability of some conditions for transplantation. This article briefly reviews disease recurrence in orthotopic liver transplants.