Prevalence of liver complications in children receiving long-term parenteral nutrition.

Background/objectives: The hepatic prognosis of long-term home total parenteral nutrition (TPN)-dependent children is poorly documented. The objective was to study outcome data in home TPN-dependent children and to describe precisely their liver biopsies in the attempt to analyze risk factors for biochemical and histological hepatic abnormalities.

Subjects/methods: Medical records of 42 children receiving home TPN for more than 2 years between January 1998 and December 2007 in a single approved home total parenteral center were reviewed. Hepatic biochemical abnormalities were analyzed. Hepatic biopsies were classified by two independent pathologists.

Results: Duration of TPN was 7.9±0.8 years (mean±s.e.m.), with an average age at onset of 1.5±0.5 years. A total of 24 patients (57%) developed biochemical liver abnormalities in an average of 2.9±0.4 years after starting TPN. Risk factors for biochemical abnormalities were younger age at TPN commencement, longer duration of TPN, higher rate of catheter-related infections and higher volume and energy content of TPN. Liver biopsies were carried out in 43% of patients (mean age 3.2±0.9 years). Almost all patients had fibrosis (94%). Risk factors were dependent on each histological abnormality: fibrosis was significantly associated with a shorter length of bowel and a longer duration of TPN; cholestasis correlated with a lower percentage of total parenteral energy intake due to lipids; and steatosis had no risk factor identified.

Conclusion: Our study reports a high rate of histological liver abnormalities and analyzes risk factors in children who underwent very long-term home TPN.