Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS) is an established strategy for the management of complications of portal hypertension. Endoprosthetic infection (\"endotipsitis\") is a rare but serious and difficult-to-treat complication of TIPS placement. Here we report the occurrence of an infected thrombus complicating TIPS placement in a patient with extra-hepatic portal vein obstruction, recurrent variceal bleeding and portal biliopathy accompanied by recurrent cholangitis. Infected thrombotic material within TIPS could be removed only by employing rotational thrombectomy. This procedure revealed the presence of a biliary fistula which carried pathogens in the systemic circulation. The multiple episodes of sepsis did no longer recur following exclusion of the biliary fistula. This case highlights the possibility to use rotational thrombectomy for the management of complex cases of TIPS dysfunction.

Endotipsitis is an underdiagnosed entity mainly because it requires a high initial level of suspicion. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent bacteremia in the cirrhotic patient with TIPS. Most cases are treated conservatively with a long-term antibiotherapy, due to the impossibility of surgical removal of the TIPS, except in a liver transplant or autopsy. The patient we present had endotipsitis that manifested as persistent bacteremia with thrombosis of the TIPS. Initially, conservative management with intravenous antibiotherapy was performed; however, due to mechanical complications caused by migration of the original endoprosthesis, it was decided to perform surgery.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a procedure commonly performed to decompress portal venous pressure since the early 1990s. Endotipsitis, which refers to persistent bacteremia caused by endovascular infection of the TIPS stent, is a rare but serious complication of this procedure. Very few cases of endotipsitis have been reported worldwide. We report the case of an immunocompetent patient diagnosed with endotipsitis, an atypical risk factor for Lactobacillus infection. This case report adds to the literature on underreported complications of TIPS, highlighting an urgent need for introducing clinical practice guidelines regarding the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of endotipsitis.

BACKGROUND: Infection of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) stent is a rare and serious complication that most commonly occurs during TIPS creation and revision. Patients typically present with recurrent bacteremia due to shunt occlusion or vegetation. To date there are approximately 58 cases reported. We present a patient diagnosed with late polymicrobial TIPS infection five years following TIPS creation.
METHODS: A 63-year-old female status-post liver transplant with recurrent cirrhosis and portal hypertension presented with sepsis and recurrent extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Escherichia coli bacteremia. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed an occluded TIPS with thrombus extension into the distal right portal vein, and focal thickening of the cecum and ascending colon. Colonoscopy revealed patchy ulcers in these areas with histopathology demonstrating ulcerated colonic mucosa with fibrinopurulent exudate. Shunt thrombectomy and revision revealed infected-appearing thrombus. Patient initially cleared her infection with antibacterial therapy and TIPS revision; however, soon after, she developed Enterobacter cloacae bacteremia and Candida glabrata and C. albicans fungemia with recurrent TIPS thrombosis. She remained on antifungal therapy indefinitely and later developed vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium with recurrent TIPS thrombosis. The option of liver re-transplant for removal of the infected TIPS was not offered given her critical illness and complex shunt anatomy. The patient became intolerant to linezolid and elected hospice care.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware that TIPS superinfection may occur as long as five years following TIPS creation in an immunocompromised patient.

Background: Vegetative transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) infections are a rare complication of TIPS placement. Cases have been reported in the literature and one study estimated incidence to be 1%.1 The vast majority of cases were reported in the setting of cirrhosis. Here, we report a case of vegetative polymicrobial TIPS infection refractory to broad spectrum antibiotics in a patient with a prior hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis as part of a Whipple procedure for a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Case Presentation: A 40-year-old gentleman with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and became eligible for tumor resection. A pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple resection) with en bloc superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and portal vein-splenic vein confluence resection was performed. The patient developed SMV stenosis, and a TIPS was placed to access the SMV for stent placement. The patient eventually developed recurrent fevers because of Escherichia coli and Enterococcal bacteremia that did not resolve with extended courses of various antibiotics, including meropenem, vancomycin, daptomycin, ertapenem, caspofungin, and piperacillin-tazobactam. The TIPS was eventually removed with an interventional radiology procedure; however, the patient ultimately succumbed to sepsis from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Conclusion: Here we present a case of endotipsitis in a patient with a biliary enteric anastomosis who did not respond to antibiotic therapy. We caution the use of TIPS in patients with this anatomy, as the biliary tree is inevitably colonized with enteric bacteria and in contact with the intraparenchymal hardware of the TIPS.