Organ donor with unclear primary brain tumor, a contraindication for transplantation?

Overview

BACKGROUND AND CASE REPORT: The use of organs from donors with central nervous systems (CNS) malignancies is controversial discussed. We present a 1 year old boy, who was admitted for torticollis. A computer tomography detected a large tumor in the posterior cranial fossa. The tumor was resected, but postoperatively a malignant brain swelling occurred, being resistant to standard treatment. After brain death was established and permission was given, organ donation was performed. All grafts showed good initial functions and no complications.

Methods:

We investigated the evidence for transplantation of organs from donors with central nervous malignancies.

Results:

The Australia and New Zealand Combined Dialysis and Transplant Registry, the United Network for Organ Sharing and Hornik et al., reported three transmissions of a glioblastoma multiforme in 958 recipients, who received grafts from donors with CNS tumors. In contrast the Israel Penn International Tumor Registry suggests that transmission is more common: 62 organs were transplanted, 14 cases showed transmission. All cases of medulloblastoma, showing transmission were associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt. In summary, 1 020 organs of CNS tumors were transplanted, 17 cases were identified with tumors transmission from CNS malignancy.

Conclusion:

Organ donors where brain death is established suffering from brain tumors should not be generally regarded as contraindications for an organ transplant. Organs from patients with risk factors (e. g. ventriculoperitoneal shunt) should be excluded from the donor pool as transmission is more likely. The risk of donor transmitted malignancies should be weight against the urgency to receive a transplant graft.