Liver transplantation for secondary sclerosing cholangitis following biliary surgery; [Transplantation hépatique pour cholangite sclérosante secondaire à une chirurgie biliaire]

The authors report their experience in five patients who underwent liver transplantation for secondary sclerosing cholangitis after undergoing biliary surgery. Liver transplantion was indicated because radiological and endoscopic manœuvres failed to control icterus. Histological findings were diffuse destruction of the biliary tree associated with cholangitis in all cases and a secondary biliary cirrhosis in 2 cases. There was no cholangiocarcinoma. All patients are alive and well without recurrence of cholangitis after a median follow-up of 39 months (range 25 to 117). These results suggest that liver transplantation can be considered the most appropriated treatment for advance secondary sclerosing cholangitis.