BILIARY SLUDGING FOLLOWING LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IN MAN

Abstract

SUMMARY Following orthotopic liver transplantation in man biliary, obstruction has been produced by masses of inspissated bile —biliary “sludge.” Bile studies in two groups of patients following transplantation show that bile is lithogenic in the early postoperative period but that reestablishment of the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts corrects this. Such changes, however, do not appear to be important in sludge formation and biochemical and histological studies of bile sludge show a major constituent to be necrotic collagen from the donor bile duct walls.