Value of Histopathologic Findings of Post-reperfusion Liver Needle Biopsies

BACKGROUND: Histopathologic changes of post-reperfusion liver needle biopsies in patients with liver transplantation have rarely been reported and most of the previous reports have been in less than 200 cases. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated 408 post-perfusion liver needle biopsies for the histopathologic changes attributable to reperfusion injury and compared them with early post-liver transplantation outcome, to find out the value of these findings. METHODS: In 408 patients who underwent liver transplantation, post-perfusion liver needle biopsy was taken within one hour of vascular anastomosis. The specimens were fixed in formalin and evaluated by a hepatopathologist blinded to the outcome of transplantation for hepatocellular necrosis, apoptosis, ballooning degeneration, cholestasis, neutrophilic infiltration, and steatosis. These were compared with cold and warm ischemic time, levels of AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, presence or absence of rejection, and duration of hospital stay. RESULTS: Hepatocellular ballooning degeneration, apoptosis, and necrosis did not show any significant correlations with early post-transplantation outcome and reperfusion injury. However, presence of neutrophilic infiltration in the post-reperfusion liver biopsy was well correlated with liver function tests and other clinical and paraclinical findings. Presence of steatosis in post-reperfusion liver needle biopsy was also associated with high liver function tests and long hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Presence of PMN leukocytes in the post-perfusion liver needle biopsy of transplanted liver is associated with poor early outcome and reperfusion injury, so it should be recorded in the pathology report and should be considered a high-risk sign for the clinicians.