eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Gastroenterology

Alagille Syndrome: Follow-up

Author: Ann Scheimann, MD, MBA, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition and Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Medical Institution
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Oct 22, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Patients may require inpatient treatment for nutritional support, cardiovascular disease, and chronic liver disease.
  • Patients with evidence of undernutrition and failure of conservative measures may benefit from gastrostomy placement for initiation of nocturnal drip feedings.
  • Patients may require cardiac catheterization and cardiac or vascular surgery/procedures for significant symptomatic lesions.
  • Complications of chronic liver disease, including variceal hemorrhage, refractory ascites, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (as well as development of hepatocellular carcinoma), occur in patients with Alagille syndrome and long-standing liver involvement. These patients merit strong consideration for liver transplantation.

Further Outpatient Care

  • Monitor patient's nutritional status. Screen patients for fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies.
  • Consultation with a pediatric cardiologist for management of structural cardiac or vascular disease, and hyperlipidemia is advised.
  • Manage chronic cholestatic liver disease, including pruritus, cirrhosis and portal hypertension, ascites, and screening for hepatocellular carcinoma, when appropriate.
  • Manage chronic renal disease.

Transfer

  • Patients with Alagille syndrome and significant cardiovascular or hepatic disease merit consultation with a subspecialist.
  • Consider transferring patient if signs of decompensation are evident upon presentation or if they are likely to evolve during hospitalization; patient also must be stable for transfer.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Patients with significant intracardiac disease require subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) prophylaxis. Consider trials of bile acid-binding resins (eg, cholestyramine) to those with significant hyperlipidemia and pruritus.
  • Supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins, alteration in dietary intake (higher carbohydrate/medium chain triglyceride), and immunizations (hepatitis B, hepatitis A, Pneumovax) may minimize the development of complications of cholestatic chronic liver disease.

Complications

  • Hepatic complications arise from cholestasis and cirrhosis. Infants may present with neonatal jaundice. Jaundice resolves by age 2 years or cholestasis persists. Unrecognized deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can contribute to morbidity (eg, osteopenia, hemolytic anemia) and mortality (eg, intracranial hemorrhage, aberrant intracerebral vessels secondary to abnormal notch or JAG1 expression) from bleeding events. Severe intractable pruritus occurs in many children with Alagille syndrome, prompting consideration for liver transplantation. Several patients have developed hepatocellular carcinoma in early adulthood.
  • Major contributors to morbidity arise from bile duct paucity or cholestatic liver disease, underlying cardiac disease, and renal disease.
  • Structural cardiac disease and hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis contribute to morbidity and mortality of Alagille syndrome. Cardiac murmurs are noted in fewer than 95% of patients. Structural anomalies associated with Alagille syndrome range from mild peripheral pulmonic stenosis to severe tetralogy of Fallot. Aneurysms and stenotic lesions have been described within the arterial system (eg, carotids, aorta, renal), as has the development of changes similar to Moyamoya disease. Hyperlipidemia commonly is manifested as xanthomas. Patients have high levels of plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and apoprotein B, predisposing to the development of atherosclerosis.
  • Structural renal disease as well as glomerulosclerosis and nephrosclerosis have been described in patients with Alagille syndrome. Renal anomalies include renal artery stenosis, ectopic kidney, single kidney, and ureteral duplications. The development of glomerulosclerosis in patients with Alagille syndrome has been attributed to hypercholesterolemia and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency, as well as stimulation of excessive production of extracellular matrix. One patient has been reported to require renal transplantation.

Prognosis

  • Cardiac disease and liver disease can significantly impact the life expectancy of patients with Alagille syndrome; presence of hepatic disease also alters life expectancy.
  • Patients with more significant cardiovascular anomalies (tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia [PA] with ventricular septal defect [VSD], atrial septal defect [ASD]/VSD, patent ductus arteriosus [PDA]) eventually require cardiac surgery. The 20-year predicted survival rate via Kaplan-Meier plots for individuals with significant intracardiac lesions is 40%; for those individuals without significant intracardiac lesions, the survival rate is 80%.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to exclude the possibility of biliary atresia in the cholestatic infant with presumed Alagille syndrome
  • Failure to recognize and treat fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies to minimize complications
  • Failure to appropriately evaluate for cardiac murmurs, cerebrovascular symptoms and hypertension
  • Failure to screen for possible malignancy (hepatocellular carcinoma) in the older patient with long-standing liver disease
 


More on Alagille Syndrome

Overview: Alagille Syndrome
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Alagille Syndrome
Treatment & Medication: Alagille Syndrome
Follow-up: Alagille Syndrome
Multimedia: Alagille Syndrome
References
[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

References

  1. Krantz ID, Piccoli DA, Spinner NB. Alagille syndrome. J Med Genet. Feb 1997;34(2):152-7. [Medline].

  2. Watson GH, Miller V. Arteriohepatic dysplasia: familial pulmonary arterial stenosis with neonatal liver disease. Arch Dis Child. Jun 1973;48(6):459-66. [Medline].

  3. Alagille D, Odievre M, Gautier M, Dommergues JP. Hepatic ductular hypoplasia associated with characteristic facies, vertebral malformations, retarded physical, mental, and sexual development, and cardiac murmur. J Pediatr. Jan 1975;86(1):63-71. [Medline].

  4. McDaniell R, Warthen DM, Sanchez-Lara PA, et al. NOTCH2 mutations cause Alagille syndrome, a heterogeneous disorder of the notch signaling pathway. Am J Hum Genet. Jul 2006;79(1):169-73. [Medline].

  5. Li L, Krantz ID, Deng Y, et al. Alagille syndrome is caused by mutations in human Jagged1, which encodes a ligand for Notch1. Nat Genet. Jul 1997;16(3):243-51. [Medline].

  6. Krantz ID, Colliton RP, Genin A, et al. Spectrum and frequency of jagged1 (JAG1) mutations in Alagille syndrome patients and their families. Am J Hum Genet. Jun 1998;62(6):1361-9. [Medline].

  7. Bucuvalas JC, Horn JA, Carlsson L, et al. Growth hormone insensitivity associated with elevated circulating growth hormone-binding protein in children with Alagille syndrome and short stature. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Jun 1993;76(6):1477-82. [Medline].

  8. Hingorani M, Nischal KK, Davies A, et al. Ocular abnormalities in Alagille syndrome. Ophthalmology. Feb 1999;106(2):330-7. [Medline].

  9. Emerick KM, Rand EB, Goldmuntz E, et al. Features of Alagille syndrome in 92 patients: frequency and relation to prognosis. Hepatology. Mar 1999;29(3):822-9. [Medline].

  10. Lalani SR, Thakuria JV, Cox GF, Wang X, Bi W, Bray MS. 20p12.3 microdeletion predisposes to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with variable neurocognitive deficits. J Med Genet. Mar 2009;46(3):168-75. [Medline].

  11. Kamath BM, Spinner NB, Emmerich KM, et al. Vascular anomalies in Alagille syndrome: a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Circulation. 2004;110:1354-8. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  12. Cynamon HA, Andres JM, Iafrate RP. Rifampin relieves pruritus in children with cholestatic liver disease. Gastroenterology. Apr 1990;98(4):1013-6. [Medline].

  13. Kasahara M, Kiuchi T, Inomata Y, et al. Living-related liver transplantation for Alagille syndrome. Transplantation. Jun 27 2003;75(12):2147-50. [Medline].

  14. Whitington PF, Whitington GL. Partial external diversion of bile for the treatment of intractable pruritus associated with intrahepatic cholestasis. Gastroenterology. Jul 1988;95(1):130-6. [Medline].

  15. [Guideline] Murray KF, Carithers RL Jr. AASLD practice guidelines: Evaluation of the patient for liver transplantation. Hepatology. Jun 2005;41(6):1407-32. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  16. Bekassy AN, Garwicz S, Wiebe T, et al. Hepatocellular carcinoma associated with arteriohepatic dysplasia in a 4-year-old girl. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1992;20(1):78-83. [Medline].

  17. Danks DM, Campbell PE, Jack I, et al. Studies of the aetiology of neonatal hepatitis and biliary atresia. Arch Dis Child. May 1977;52(5):360-7. [Medline].

  18. Gottrand F, Clavey V, Fruchart JC, Farriaux JP. Lipoprotein pattern and plasma lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity in children with Alagille syndrome. Atherosclerosis. Jun 1995;115(2):233-41. [Medline].

  19. Hoffenberg EJ, Narkewicz MR, Sondheimer JM, et al. Outcome of syndromic paucity of interlobular bile ducts (Alagille syndrome) with onset of cholestasis in infancy. J Pediatr. Aug 1995;127(2):220-4. [Medline].

  20. Kay MH, Wyllie R, Steffen RM. Use of ursodeoxycholic acid in the treatment of arteriohepatic dysplasia. Clin Pediatr (Phila). Nov 1996;35(11):593-6. [Medline].

  21. Martin SR, Garel L, Alvarez F. Alagille's syndrome associated with cystic renal disease. Arch Dis Child. Mar 1996;74(3):232-5. [Medline].

  22. Miguet JP, Mavier P, Soussy CJ, Dhumeaux D. Induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes after brief administration of rifampicin in man. Gastroenterology. May 1977;72(5 Pt 1):924-6. [Medline].

  23. Oestreich AE, Sokol RJ, Suchy FJ, Heubi JE. Renal abnormalities in arteriohepatic dysplasia and nonsyndromic intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia. Ann Radiol (Paris). Feb-Mar 1983;26(2-3):203-9. [Medline].

  24. Quiros-Tejeira RE, Ament ME, Heyman MB, et al. Variable morbidity in alagille syndrome: a review of 43 cases. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Oct 1999;29(4):431-7. [Medline].

  25. Rabinovitz M, Imperial JC, Schade RR, Van Thiel DH. Hepatocellular carcinoma in Alagille's syndrome: a family study. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Jan 1989;8(1):26-30. [Medline].

  26. Russo PA, Ellis D, Hashida Y. Renal histopathology in Alagille's syndrome. Pediatr Pathol. 1987;7(5-6):557-68. [Medline].

  27. Shulman SA, Hyams JS, Gunta R. Arteriohepatic dysplasia (Alagille syndrome): extreme variability among affected family members. Am J Med Genet. Oct 1984;19(2):325-32. [Medline].

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Further Reading

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Keywords

Alagille syndrome, AS, Alagille's syndrome, Alagille-Watson syndrome, arteriohepatic dysplasia, syndromic bile duct paucity, pulmonary valvular stenosis, hypoplasia of the hepatic ducts, mental retardation, treatment, diagnosis

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ann Scheimann, MD, MBA, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition and Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Medical Institution
Ann Scheimann, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robert Baldassano, MD, Director, Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania
Robert Baldassano, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Gastroenterological Association, and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

CME Editor

Steven M Schwarz, MD, FAAP, FACN, AGAF, Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Downstate, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center
Steven M Schwarz, MD, FAAP, FACN, AGAF is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Nutrition, American College of Physician Executives, American Gastroenterological Association, American Pediatric Society, Gastroenterology Research Group, New York Academy of Medicine, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Society for Pediatric Research
Disclosure: TAP Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Curemark, LLC Consulting fee Board membership; Centocor, Inc. Grant/research funds Independent contractor

Chief Editor

Carmen Cuffari, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology/Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Carmen Cuffari, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

RELATED MEDSCAPE ARTICLES
Articles
 
 
HONcode

We subscribe to the
HONcode principles of the
Health On the Net Foundation

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright© 1994- by Medscape.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this Website is not influenced by sponsors. The site is designed primarily for use by qualified physicians and other medical professionals. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.