HYPERALUMINEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION AND ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE

Iatrogenic aluminium toxicity is reported in a patient who underwent a n orthotopic liver transplant and who had concomitant renal failure re quiring hemodialysis. Following transplantation the patient developed a metabolic encephalopathy with only mildly elevated blood ammonia con centrations. During the period following transplantation the patient r eceived massive infusions of albumin and was on oral feeding (vivonext en), both of which contained aluminium, as did the dialysis fluid. Hyp eraluminemia and profoundly elevated liver tissue aluminium concentrat ions were observed. Treatment with desferrioxamine, a trivalent ion ch elator, decreased the plasma aluminium concentrations with an improvem ent in the patient's mental status.