Hepatotropic and Nonhepatotropic Viral Infection in Liver Transplant Recipients

Liver transplant (LT) is the standard of care for patients with decompensated liver disease with or without hepatocellular carcinoma. Graft survival rates over the years, have improved significantly due to the availability of potent immunosuppressive agents. A major concern in the immediate posttransplant period is the increased susceptibility of patients to de novo viral infections and an increased risk to reactivation of a latent infection. This is often perceptible in the first 6 months when the immunosuppression is at its peak. Protocol-guided screening strategies have, in recent times, reduced the risk of bacterial, viral, and other infections under these circumstances. This article will review the prevalence of hepatotropic and nonhepatotropic viral infections in this subset of patients. In addition, clinical presentation and strategies to manage the recurrence or de novo viral infections in the immediate and late post-LT period will be discussed.