Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Mimicking Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency in Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Successful Treatment with Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration and Ammonia Scavengers.

Jeong-Seon Lee, Hye Young Jin, Jung Min Ko, Seoung Hoon Kim, Nayoung Han, Byung Kiu Park, Meerim Park, Hyeon Jin Park, Jun Ah Lee

Cancer research and treatment 2021 Jan

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Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC) is a rare liver cancer affecting adolescents and young adults without any pre existing liver disease. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy (HAE) is a serious paraneoplastic syndrome, and several cases of HAE have been reported in patients with FLHCC. This condition is rare; hence, there are currently no management guidelines for cancer-related HAE. Herein, we report a case of an 18-year-old man with advanced FLHCC who developed HAE during the first course of chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and interferon-α. He was successfully treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration, sodium benzoate, sodium phenylbutyrate, and amino acid supplementation for HAE. After the second course of chemotherapy, he underwent surgery, and thereafter, his ammonia levels were normal without any ammonia scavenger therapy. Treatments for HAE described here will be helpful for this rare, but serious metabolic complication of FLHCC and could partially applied to HAE related to any malignancies.

Citation

Jeong-Seon Lee, Hye Young Jin, Jung Min Ko, Seoung Hoon Kim, Nayoung Han, Byung Kiu Park, Meerim Park, Hyeon Jin Park, Jun Ah Lee. Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Mimicking Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency in Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Successful Treatment with Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration and Ammonia Scavengers. Cancer research and treatment. 2021 Jan;53(1):283-288