ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Biliary complications after liver transplantation can cause liver graft dysfunction. Ultrasound examination is one of important diagnostic methods of biliary complications after liver transplantation. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of biliary complications after liver transplantation. METHODS:A total of 92 patients after liver transplantation, including 81 males, 11 females, aged 21-67 years;al ogenic orthotopic liver transplantation in 90 cases, partial living liver transplantation in 2 cases. Biliary reconstruction methods were end-to-end biliary anastomosis. Routine examination after liver transplantation and color Doppler ultrasound results were retrospectively analyzed. The inspection focused on whether common bile duct and intrahepatic bile duct had biliary leakage, biliary stenosis, biliary sludge or biliary calculus. Some patients underwent puncture and drainage under ultrasonographic guidance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In al the 92 patients, 14 cases were diagnosed ultrasonical y as biliary complications, including 5 cases of biliary leakage, 4 cases of biliary stenosis (2 cases of stomal stenosis and 2 cases of non-stomal stenosis), 4 cases of biliary sludge, and 1 case of biliary calculus. This study demonstrated that ultrasound characteristics could be easily recognized in liver transplantation patients with biliary complications. Ultrasound has very important clinical value in diagnosis of the biliary complications after liver transplantation.