Acute Appendicitis After Diaphragmatic Hernia After Pediatric Liver Transplant

Abstract

Multiple complications in liver transplant have been described in the literature. However, appendicitis and diaphragmatic hernia have rarely been reported after solid-organ transplant. The clinical presentation of appendicitis is similar to that of nontransplant patients, but complications are more frequent, because the majority of the patients did not have leukocytosis. Diaphragmatic hernia can present with a variety of atypical clinical symptoms.

In this report, 1 patient who developed a diaphragmatic hernia and appendicitis after liver transplant is presented. A 2-year-old boy with end-stage liver cirrhosis owing to progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type-2 received a living-donor liver transplant. The posttransplant course was complicated. The diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia was confirmed by thoracoabdominal computed tomography, and we decided to proceed with surgical repair. The patient had evidence of perforation, and the appendix was removed. After repositioning the intestine in the abdomen, a chest tube was placed, and the defect repaired with interrupted polypropylene sutures. The patient recovered after surgery without untoward sequelae.