Korean Journal of Radiology  2010;11(4):485-489

doi:10.3348/kjr.2010.11.4.485

Pulmonary Artery Embolotherapy in a Patient with Type I Hepatopulmonary Syndrome after Liver Transplantation.

Hae Won LEE 1 ; Kyung Suk SUH ; Joohyun KIM ; Woo Young SHIN ; Nam Joon YI ; Hwan Jun JAE ; Jin Wook CHUNG ; So Won OH ; Keon Wook KANG ; Kuhn Uk LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Hepatopulmonary syndrome; Pulmonary vasodilatation; Intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunt; Embolization; Liver transplantation

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Although liver transplantation (LT) is the only effective treatment option for hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), the post-LT morbidity and mortality have been high for patients with severe HPS. We performed post-LT embolotherapy in a 10-year-old boy who had severe type I HPS preoperatively, but he failed to recover early from his hypoxemic symptoms after an LT. Multiple embolizations were then successfully performed on the major branches that formed the abnormal vascular structures. After the embolotherapy, the patient had symptomatic improvement and he was discharged without complications.