Omega-3-enriched lipid emulsion for liver salvage in parenteral nutrition-induced cholestasis in the adult patient.

The intrahepatic cholestasis attributed to parenteral nutrition (PN) in the adult patient is relatively rare and usually occurs in patients receiving long-term PN. This article reports the first case of an adult patient with cholestatic PN-associated liver disease without sepsis who received almost all her nutrition requirements through PN. Administration of an ω-3-enriched lipid emulsion added to the PN regimen reversed cholestasis and demonstrated histologic improvement on serial liver biopsy. The patient had failed to respond to other modalities of treatment for this condition and was deeply jaundiced. Liver biochemistry profiles returned to baseline, and follow-up liver biopsy showed that cholestasis had resolved and that the only residual changes were mild portal inflammation with no histochemical or ultrastructural progression. The PN regimen for the patient was restored to provide total estimated energy requirements and remains the principle source of the patient's nutrition to date.