Hepatic veno-occlusive disease with severe capillary leakage after peripheral stem cell transplantation: treatment with recombinant plasminogen activator and C1-esterase inhibitor concentrate.

Severe veno-occlusive disease (VOD), characterised by elevated serum bilirubin levels, is a known complication in the first 3 weeks after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Severe VOD is associated with capillary leakage and multiple organ dysfunction and leads to high mortality. We report a 17-year-old male, who developed VOD with capillary leakage (CL) after allogeneic PBSCT. The patient presented with a maximum serum bilirubin of 25.4 mg/dl, weight gain (10% of baseline weight), generalized edema, cardiovascular insufficiency, complement activation, jaundice and a decreased AT and protein C functional activity. After VOD and CL were diagnosed the patient was treated with recombinant human plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and C1 esterase-inhibitor concentrate (C1-INH-C). The clinical symptoms resolved and the patient's status stabilized. The patient was in an adequate clinical state 5 months after transplantation. We noted that the combined therapy with rt-PA and C1-INH-C in this high-risk situation led to a resolution of VOD with CL.