Successful pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy for a patient with carcinoma of the papilla vater two years after living donor liver transplantation

Liver transplantation has been recognized as the treatment for various kinds of end-stage liver diseases. Standardized surgical technique, potent immunosuppressive agents and diligent postoperative care have made it possible for patients to survive for a longer period. For this reason, recurrent primary disease and/or de novo malignancy regarded as chronic immunosuppressant have been paid a great deal of attention. Even pancreas cancer after liver transplantation is extremely rare and has never been successfully treated. Furthermore, cancer of the papilla Vater, which is less frequent than pancreas cancer after liver transplantation has not been reported as yet. In this paper we discuss the first case of cancer of the papilla Vater, which was successfully treated by pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy two years after a living related liver transplantation using a left lobe. In addition, we discuss the type of malignancy after liver transplantation.