ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of ischemie-type biliary lesion (ITBL) after liver transplantation. Methods Twenty-five liver transplantation recipients suspected with biliary complications were examined using CEUS. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography confirmed the diagnosis. The enhancement patterns of the thickened hilum bile duct wall were observed. Results Enhancement patterns of bile duct wall could be divided into 3 sorts:① No-enhancement, six cases, showed no-enhancement all along. ②Hypo-enhancing level, four cases, presented hypo-enhancing at arterial phase and persistent hypo- or no-enhancing until late phase. ③Hyper-enhaneing level,fifteen cases,appeared as hyper- or iso-enhancing at arterial phase and persistent iso- or hypo-enhancing until late phase. The enhancement pattern of bile duct wall showed significant difference ( P = 0.00). Thirteen ITBL patients included 10 cases ( 76.9 % ) with no- or hypo-enhaneement, 3 patients (23.1 % ) with hyper-enhancement. However, all of 12 non-ITBL cases appeared hyper-enhancing. Conclusions CEUS provides a new and effective method to estimate the microcirculation of the bile duct wall. It may be help to early diagnosis of ITBL.