Primary sclerosing cholangitis and liver transplantation

Abstract

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic disease, strongly associated with ulcerative colitis and cholangiocarcinoma. Ulcerative colitis itself does not influence the liver transplant results. However, intensified screening after liver transplantation for carcinoma of the colon may be necessary. Cholangiocarcinoma, although incidentally found in hepatectomy specimens, has a bad prognosis. Initial reports in the literature indicate a far lower survival when liver transplantation is performed for PSC, in comparison to the results achieved in other transplant indications. This might have been due to surgical interventions which nowadays are avoided. Later reports show a better prognosis than the initial ones. We report on the results of liver transplantation for PSC, as indicated in the literature and on the results of the Groningen transplant centre.