CASE OF SYNCYTIAL GIANT-CELL HEPATITIS TREATED WITH AN EXTRACORPOREALLIVER ASSIST DEVICE

Syncytial giant cell hepatitis (SGCH) has recently been reported to be a cause of severe hepatitis, with little chance of patient recovery w ithout orthotopic liver transplantation. We have recently seen a patie nt with multisystem disease and histologic features of SGCH. Upon reac hing stage IV coma, she was treated with an extracorporeal liver assis t device containing 200 g of cultured liver cells. There was an immedi ate improvement in her galactose elimination capacity, and her own liv er recovered to the point that therapy could be discontinued after 58 h. The patient recovered slowly from her multisystem disease and was d ischarged with mildly elevated transaminases and biochemical evidence of cholestasis. All laboratory values are normal at 2 yr, and the pati ent appears to have no sequelae of her disease.