Successful defibrotide treatment of a patient with veno-occlusive disease after living-donor liver transplantation: A case report

Rationale: Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is characterized by painful hepatomegaly, ascites, weight gain, and jaundice with nonthrombotic, fibrous obliteration of the centrilobular hepatic veins. VOD after liver transplantation is a rare complication, with an incidence of approximately 2%; however, it can be life-threatening in severe cases. The precise etiology and mechanism of VOD after liver transplantation remains unclear. Acute cellular rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, and treatment with tacrolimus or azathioprine may be associated with the development of VOD after liver transplantation. Additionally, the optimal treatment of VOD after liver transplantation has not yet been established and focuses on supportive care. Defibrotide is an anti-ischemic and antithrombotic drug with no systemic anticoagulant effects. Moreover, only a few reports have investigated the use of defibrotide for VOD after liver transplantation, which has shown promising results. Patient concerns: A 39-year-old woman with primary biliary cholangitis underwent living-donor liver transplantation at our center. She experienced right upper quadrant pain with increased ascites, pleural effusion, and weight gain on postoperative day 14. Diagnoses: Imaging and pathological tests showed no evidence of rejection or vessel complications. VOD was diagnosed clinically based on the findings of weight gain, ascites, jaundice, and pathological biopsy. Interventions: Defibrotid, 25 mg/kg/day, was administered intravenously for 21 days. Outcomes: She showed complete clinical resolution of the VOD. Lessons: Herein, we report a case of successful defibrotide treatment of VOD after living-donor liver transplantation.