A reduced segment II/III graft for neonatal liver failure with absence of detectable hepatocytes. A case report and literature review

Abstract

When hepatic failure occurs in newborns, most cases are because of viral hepatitis, metabolic diseases, and neonatal hemochromatosis. It is rare to have liver failure presenting in the first day after birth. We report a unique case of a newborn baby with liver failure in the first day of life who received a reduced segment II and III graft when she was 19 days old and became the youngest survivor of LDLT. Common and rare causes of liver failure in this age group were excluded by appropriate testing. She underwent a liver biopsy that showed a liver devoid of hepatocytes. Similar pathological findings were found in the explanted liver. She was discharged from the hospital with normal graft function three months after the transplant.