Liver transplantation in biliary atresia with concomitant hepatoma.

Two cases are reported in which the very infrequently reported association was found of liver cell carcinoma and biliary cirrhosis secondary to congenital biliary atresia. A search of the literature revealed 4 previous reports of cases with similar pathology. Our 2 patients were both operated upon within the first few months of life, at which time congenital biliary atresia was documented, and in 1 instance temporarily corrected. They ran a progressive downhill course until they both received replacement livers, one at 4 years of age and the other at 12, at which times hepatoma was found in the excised cirrhotic livers. One patient is in good health 18 months post-transplantation. The other developed metastases but died of gastro-intestinal bleeding and pneumonia 76 days post-transplantation.