Alcoholgeassocieerde hepatitis: geschikt voor transplantatie?

Abstract

Alcohol-associated hepatitis: fit for transplant? Alcohol-associated hepatitis is one of the most severe stages of end-stage liver failure. In patients not responding to corticosteroids or when this medication is contraindicated, an early liver transplantation is the last treatment option. This article discusses the transplant process and various topics of controversy, such as relapse, outcome, ethics and organ scarcity, with the aim of determining whether these patients are good transplant candidates. This narrative review is based on 30 sources from various databases. Patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis not responding to corticosteroids have a high short-term mortality, which often makes a rapid intervention with an early liver transplantation the only option. An abstinence period of 6 months is therefore not possible in this population. The outcome of alcohol-associated hepatitis after the transplantation is similar to that of end-stage alcohol-associated liver disease. Only a small proportion of the patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis relapses after the transplantation, figures corresponding to those of alcoholic liver disease. The literature shows that, according to the principles of medical ethics, severe alcohol-associated hepatitis is a good indication for a liver transplantation, even in the context of the current organ shortage. The good outcome, low recurrence rates and high urgency and utility are the main reasons.