Pediatric liver transplant following near catastrophic head bleed: Lessons learned

Evaluation for liver transplant candidacy is a multidisciplinary effort that involves all aspects of clinical care including social work, nutrition, and a multitude of medical specialties. The prognosis of a pretransplant clinical condition is integrated into the decision to list a patient. Herein, we report a successful liver transplant and recovery of a 3-month-old male following a large right hemispheric subdural hematoma related to acute coagulopathy secondary to undiagnosed end-stage liver disease. On presentation with jaundice, lethargy, and unequal pupils, a CT scan was obtained which demonstrated a large right subdural hematoma with herniation. Once his coagulopathy was corrected, he went for decompressive craniectomy. He survived with medically controlled seizures and improving L-sided neglect and extremity weakness. Six weeks later, given his continued neurologic recovery and worsening liver function, the decision was made to list him for liver transplantation. One month later, he underwent orthotopic liver transplant. His post-operative hospital course was complicated by DVTs and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, but no neurologic decline, and he was eventually discharged from the hospital on post-op day 26. Three years later, he has a well-functioning allograft and no clinically evident neurologic deficits. The prognosis following pediatric neurologic trauma remains somewhat unclear as recovery and neurologic examinations can be influenced by numerous extrinsic factors. This is one of the first reports of near full neurologic recovery of a pediatric liver transplant recipient following a large subdural hematoma with herniation.