Hepatic veno-occlusive disease or veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a condition in which some of the small veins in the liver are obstructed. It is a complication of high-dose chemotherapy given before a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and is marked by weight gain due to fluid retention, increased liver size, and raised levels of bilirubin in the blood. The name sinusoidal obstruction syndrome is now preferred if VOD happens as a result of chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.
Apart from chemotherapy, VOD may also occur after ingestion of certain plant alkaloids such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (in some herbal teas), and has been described as part of a rare hereditary disease called hepatic venoocclusive disease with immunodeficiency (which results from mutations in the gene coding for a protein called SP110).
Video Hepatic veno-occlusive disease
Signs and symptoms
Features of VOD include weight gain, tender hepatomegaly, ascites, and jaundice; it often is associated with renal failure.
Maps Hepatic veno-occlusive disease
Pathophysiology
In the BMT setting, VOD is felt to be due to injury to the hepatic venous endothelium from the conditioning regimen.
Toxic agents causing veno-occlusive disease include plants as well as the medication cyclophosphamide.
Diagnosis
Hepatic doppler ultrasound is typically utilized to confirm or suggest the diagnosis. Most common findings on liver doppler ultrasound include increased phasicity of portal veins with eventual development of portal flow reversal. The liver is usually enlarged but maintained normal echogenicity. A liver biopsy is required for a definitive diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment generally includes supportive care including pain management and possibly diuretics. In the those severe disease due to a bone marrow transplant, defibrotide is a proposed treatment. It has been approved for use in severe cases in Europe and the United States. A placebo controlled trial, however, has not been done as of 2016.
Prognosis
Mild disease has a risk of death of about 10% while moderate disease has a risk of death of 20%. When it occurs as a result of bone marrow transplant and multiorgan failure is present, the risk of death is greater than 80%.
History
The first report on veno-occlusive disease, in 1920, was as a result of senecio poisoning in South Africa. Subsequent reports were mostly in Jamaicans who had consumed herbal teas. With the advent of bone marrow transplanation, most later reported cases have been in those undergoing treatment for leukemia.
See also
- Budd-Chiari syndrome (large liver vein obstruction due to thrombosis)
References
Further reading
- Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- Wingard JR, Nichols WG, McDonald GB (2004). "Supportive care". Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 1: 372-89. doi:10.1182/asheducation-2004.1.372. PMID 15561693.
- Dignan, Fiona L.; Wynn, Robert F.; Hadzic, Nedim; Karani, John; Quaglia, Alberto; Pagliuca, Antonio; Veys, Paul; Potter, Michael N. (1 November 2013). "BCSH/BSBMT guideline: diagnosis and management of veno-occlusive disease (sinusoidal obstruction syndrome) following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation". British Journal of Haematology. 163 (4): 444-457. doi:10.1111/bjh.12558. ISSN 1365-2141. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
External links
Source of article : Wikipedia
0 Comments