The clinical spectrum of neurologic disorders after intestinal and multivisceral transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal transplantation has evolved into an effective therapy for patients with intestinal failure and the inability to be maintained on total parenteral nutrition. Long-term heavy immunosuppression and complex systemic disturbances increase the risk of the neurologic complications.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis identified the post-transplant neurologic complications in adult patients who underwent intestinal transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between May 1990 and August 1998. The recipients received 28 isolated intestine, 17 composite liver-intestine, and nine multivisceral allografts.

RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 25 months, 46 of 54 recipients (68%) developed headaches (n = 27; 50%), encephalopathy (n = 23; 43%), seizures (n = 9; 17%), neuromuscular disorders (n = 4; 7%), opportunistic CNS infections (n = 4; 7%), and ischemic stroke (n = 2; 4%).

CONCLUSIONS: Under high maintenance immunosuppression, intestinal transplant recipients were at high risk for neurologic complications. Future studies are needed to describe post-transplant neurologic complications with modern immunosuppression protocols.