The role of laparoscopic techniques in children with suspected post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders.

Aim: To assess the role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to diagnose post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in pediatric patients.
Methods: Thirty-four patients (20 male, 14 female) underwent organ transplantation (14 liver, 14 kidney, 3 heart, 2 lung, 1 heart-lung) from May 1992 to November 2008 (mean age at transplantation, 66 months; range, 5-277), in whom a biopsy was performed for suspected PTLD from May 1993 to September 2009. The time point of onset, type of PTLD, rate of intraabdominal manifestations with need of MIS, and its accuracy were assessed.
Results: Twenty-four of 34 patients (70%) had biopsies of superficial lymph nodes (9), oropharyngeal biopsy (5), gastrointestinal endoscopy or bronchoscopy (5), ultrasound-guided biopsies (3), biopsy of the bone marrow (1), or of the orbita (1). Data of the technique used were unavailable in 3 (9%). Due to lack of superficially located lesions, 6 of 34 patients (18%) had laparoscopic biopsy, of which 4 had abdominal organ graft. Laparoscopic biopsy was successful in 5 of 6 cases (83%). Abscess formation at area of transplanted kidney led to conversion in 1. Tumor extension to the abdominal wall led to a primary biopsy via a mini-laparotomy in another case. One patient with abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma developed a trocar metastasis, successfully treated by systemic chemotherapy. No other complications were observed after MIS. Accuracy of MIS biopsies was 100%. The onset of PTLD was significantly later diagnosed in cases of explicit intraabdominal PTLD (81 ± 6.3 versus 28 ± 5.3 months; P < .001). Morbidity and mortality were not influenced by biopsy technique or time point of PTLD onset.
Conclusions: In 20% of pediatric PTLD cases an intraabdominal biopsy is required due to explicit intraabdominal manifestation. As laparoscopic surgery was even feasible in patients after prior abdominal organ transplantation, we suggest laparoscopic biopsy as a safe tool for diagnosing PTLD.