Premium
Patient with adult‐onset type II citrullinemia beginning 2 years after operation for duodenal malignant somatostatinoma: Indication for liver transplantation
Author(s) -
Tazawa Koichi,
Yazaki Masahide,
Fukushima Kazuhiro,
Ogata Satoshi,
Makuuchi Masatoshi,
Morita Katsuo,
Hiraishi Hideyuki,
Iwasaki Yoshimi,
Kita Junji,
Kubota Keiichi,
Ikeda Shuichi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
hepatology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.123
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1872-034X
pISSN - 1386-6346
DOI - 10.1111/j.1872-034x.2012.01098.x
Subject(s) - citrullinemia , medicine , liver transplantation , transplantation , hyperammonemia , gastroenterology , hepatic encephalopathy , encephalopathy , citrulline , surgery , arginine , cirrhosis , biology , biochemistry , amino acid
We report a 51‐year‐old female patient with adult‐onset type II citrullinemia ( CTLN2 ) who had a history of pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal somatostatinoma with metastases to regional lymph nodes at age 49 years, paying special attention to indications for liver transplantation. At age 50 years, she developed hepatic encephalopathy with elevation of plasma ammonia and citrulline levels. A diagnosis of CTLN2 was made by DNA analysis of the SLC25A13 gene and treatment with conservative therapies was begun, including a low‐carbohydrate diet and supplementation with arginine and sodium pyruvate. However, despite these treatments, frequent attacks of encephalopathy occurred with markedly elevated plasma ammonia levels. While we were apprehensive regarding the risk of recurrence of somatostatinoma due to immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation, the patient was in a critical condition with CTLN2 and it was decided to perform living‐donor liver transplantation using a graft obtained from her son. Her postoperative clinical course was uneventful and she has had an active life without recurrence of somatostatinoma for 2 years. This is the first case of CTLN2 with somatostatinoma. As the condition of CTLN2 patients with rapidly progressive courses is often intractable by conservative therapies alone, liver transplantation should be considered even after surgery for malignant tumors in cases with neither metastasis nor recurrence.