A case of peripheral gangrene and osteomyelitis secondary to terlipressin therapy in advanced liver disease

Variceal bleeding and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) are serious and life-threatening complications of advanced liver disease. Terlipressin is widely used to manage both acute variceal bleeding and HRS due to its potency and long duration of action. The most severe (though rare) adverse event is ischemia. The present report describes the case of a patient with gangrene and osteomyelitis secondary to terlipressin therapy. A 71-year-old male with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B) and chronic hepatitis C was admitted due to a drowsy mental status. The patient had several experiences of orthopedic surgery. His creatinine level had gradually elevated to 4.02 mg/dL, and his urine output decreased to 500 mL/24 hr. The patient was diagnosed as having grade III hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and type II HRS. Terlipressin and albumin were administered intravenously to treat the HRS over 11 days. Although he recovered from the HE and HRS, the patient developed peripheral gangrene and osteomyelitis in both feet. His right toes were cured with the aid of rescue therapy, but his left three toes had to be amputated. Peripheral gangrene and osteomyelitis secondary to terlipressin therapy occur only rarely, and there is no specific rescue therapy for these conditions. Thus, attention should be paid to the possibility of ischemia of the skin and bone during or after terlipressin therapy.

Severe ischemic bowel necrosis caused by terlipressin during treatment of hepatorenal syndrome

Terlipressin is a vasopressin analogue that is widely used in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome or variceal bleeding. Because it acts mainly on splanchnic vessels, terlipressin has a lower incidence of severe ischemic complications than does vasopressin. However, it can still lead to serious complications such as myocardial infarction, skin necrosis, or bowel ischemia. Herein we report a case of severe ischemic bowel necrosis in a 46-year-old cirrhotic patient treated with terlipressin. Although the patient received bowel resection, death occurred due to ongoing hypotension and metabolic acidosis. Attention should be paid to patients complaining of abdominal pain during treatment with terlipressin.

A Case of Peripheral Ischemic Complication after Terlipressin Therapy / 대한소화기학회지

Hepatorenal syndrome is a severe complication of cirrhosis, leading to death in more than 90% of cases in the absence of liver transplantation. Several treatments have been attempted as a bridge to liver transplantation. Among such treatments, terlipressin is a nonselective V1 vasopressin agonist. When comparing with ornipressin, it is known to have a similar vasoconstricting potency, but much less ischemic complication. We report a case of gangrene on toes and necrosis on the infusion site of left hand which developed after the use of terlipressin due to hepatorenal syndrome in a 41-year-old-man with liver cirrhosis. Ischemic complication of terlipressin is rare and there has been no case report in Korea. Although it is rare, we must pay attention to the peripheral ischemic complication of terlipressin.

Treatment of active gastroesophageal variceal bleeding with terlipressin or hemostatic ballon in patients with cirrhosis. A randomized controlled trial

Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension should be treated by endoscopic sclerotherapy. This procedure, however, has some limitations. It has been established that vasoactive drugs are effective for controlling active variceal bleeding. We report the results of a randomized contolled trial comparing terlipressin to hemostatic tube (Linton-Michel tube) for the treatment of bleeding gastroesophageal varices in cirrhotic patients. Thirty-seven cirrhotic patients with a total of 40 episodes of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding were included in this trial. Patients were randomly assigned to intravenous terlipressin or Linton-Michel tube (LM tube), for 24 h. During this period, hemostasis was defined as obtaining of hemodynamic and hematocrit stabilization and/or absence of hematemesis or melena. Bleeding recurrence was assessed during a 1-month period after treatment. Twenty bleeding episodes were treated with terlipressin (Group I) and 20 with LM tube (group II). Both groups of patients were similar in age, sex distribution, etiology of cirrhosis and degree of hepatic insufficiency. Bleeding was controlled in 70 percent of patients from Group I and in 95 percent from Group II (p<0.05) during treatment. Bleeding recurred in 14 percent of patients in Group I vs. 36 percent in Group II 1 week following the treatment (p>0.05) and in 16.6 percent in Group I vs. 83.3 percent in Group II 1 month after treatment (p<0.05). Mortality rate was similar in both groups 1 month after treatment. In conclusion, hemostatic tubes were superior to terlipressin for the control of active gastroesophageal variceal bleeding within the first 24 h. Complications and bleeding recurrence were more frequent in patients treated by hemostatic tube within a period of 1 month after treatment. Mortality rate was similar in both groups of patients