Clinical analysis and significance of cholangiography for biliary cast/stone after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Cholangiography is an important method for the diagnosis of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. The cholangiography after orthotopic liver transplantation presents special challenges, especially in patients with biliary cast/stone and biliary stenosis. We described the T-tube cholangiography combined therapeutic fibro-choledochoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary cast following after orthotopic liver transplantation. Fourteen patients who developed biliary cast/stone after liver transplantation were analyzed retrospectively. The complications were divided into three temporal stages, early, medium, and late. Hepatic functions and the characteristics of the bile duct were observed by T-tube cholangiography and endoscopy. The biliary cast after liver transplantation was divided into three categories: Solitary, multiple, and columnar. Three months after liver transplantation, bile ducts appeared fuzzy by T-tube cholangiography, but no evidence of biliary cast was found. The bile duct was feculent with flocculation during the middle stage 3-6 months after liver transplantation. At six months after transplantation, bile ducts (especially intrahepatic bile ducts) were distended; cholangiectasis was obvious with biliary cast. The intrahepatic bile duct stricture was observed on occasion by T-tube cholangiography and the intrahepatic bile duct could be thin and distended, and resembled withered branches or strings of beads. The intrahepatic bile ducts even disappeared at this stage; hepatic functions were usually unacceptable and the icterus gradually aggravated. Four cases were diagnosed earlier according to the categories of stone and stage. Curative therapy was performed promptly and the clinical outcome was acceptable. Biliary tracts of the transplanted livers could be observed by T-tube channels and biliary complications were treated effectively by therapeutic fibro-choledochoscopy. It is necessary to combine T-tube cholangiography with fibro-choledochoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Determinants of second-order bile duct visualization at CT cholangiography in potential living liver donors.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to investigate the determinants of second-order bile duct visualization at CT cholangiography in living potential liver donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 143 potential living liver donors (83 men and 60 women; mean age, 37 years) evaluated with CT cholangiography, which included a slow infusion of iodipamide meglumine with CT acquisition 15 minutes after biliary contrast agent administration. Two readers independently scored the visualization of the second-order bile duct branches on a previously established 4-point scale (0 = not seen, 1 = faintly seen, 2 = well seen, and 3 = excellent visualization). Multivariate analysis was used to investigate the correlation between visualization scores and potential determinants of second-order bile duct opacification, specifically age, body mass index, creatinine level, total and direct bilirubin levels, alkaline phosphatase level, aspartate aminotransferase level, alanine aminotransferase level, patient maximum linear width, CT noise, and hepatosplenic attenuation difference at unenhanced CT. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) second-order bile duct visualization scores were 2.35 ± 0.66 and 2.55 ± 0.60 for readers 1 and 2, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of reduced second-order bile duct visualization were higher alkaline phosphatase level (p = 0.01) and higher CT noise (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Higher serum alkaline phosphatase level and higher CT noise in potential living liver donors indicate a higher risk of poor second-order bile duct visualization at CT cholangiography.

Revealing impaired blood supply to the bile ducts on contrast-enhanced ultrasound: a novel diagnosis method to ischemic-type biliary lesions after orthotropic liver transplantation.

Ischemic-type biliary lesions (ITBLs) are a major source of morbidity and mortality after orthotropic liver transplantation (OLT). The study determines diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing ITBLs. Nine healthy volunteers, six OLT recipients without complications, 36 OLT patients with complications (12 without ITBLs and 24 with ITBLs) underwent CEUS. Two radiologists reviewed the sonograms of the hilar bile duct wall and established specific criteria used to detect ITBLs. Next, the sonograms of six OLT recipients without complications and 36 patients with complications (12 without ITBLs and 24 with ITBLs) were retrospectively reviewed by two other independent, blinded radiologists. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CEUS were evaluated. The main feature differentiating ITBLs from three other groups was non- or hypo-enhancement of the hilar bile duct wall in arterial phase (all p < 0.05), which was selected as the primary criterion for subsequent study. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 66.7%, 88.9% and 76.2% for reader 1 and 62.5%, 88.9% and 73.8% for reader 2, respectively. A good interobserver agreement (κ = 0.85) was achieved. In this study, CEUS shows promise of detection of ITBLs by revealing impaired blood supply to the bile ducts, but more studies will be needed to establish its usefulness.

[Secondary sclerosing cholangitis following liver transplantation: a rare cause for graft failure]. / Sekundär sklerosierende Cholangitis nach Lebertransplantation: Eine seltene Ursache für ein Transplantatversagen.

We report on a 25-year-old female patient who presented with recurrent cholestasis following liver transplantation due to primary sclerosing cholangitis. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography showed intrahepatic bile duct dilatation and stenosis of the common hepatic artery with flow acceleration and decreased resistance index. The patient developed a severe secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) with biliary casts - despite interventional stent placement of the common hepatic artery - thus requiring retransplantation. After prolonged intensive care unit treatment the patient was discharged in a good general condition. This case report describes SSC as a rare cause for graft failure. In unclear cholestasis after liver transplantation SSC has to be considered as the underlying cause.

Serial ultrasound findings associated with early liver transplantation after Kasai portoenterostomy in biliary atresia.

AIM: To investigate the ultrasound findings associated with early liver transplantation (LT) after Kasai portoenterostomy (Kasai) in children with biliary atresia (BA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children with BA (n = 30) who underwent Kasai were classified into early LT group (n = 17, LT within 1 year after Kasai) and Kasai alone group (n = 13, alive with their native livers). Serial ultrasound (baseline and follow-up before LT or post-Kasai 1 year) images were reviewed to investigate significant ultrasound findings related to early LT using both univariate and multivariate models. Images were reviewed focusing on the hepatic artery diameter, portal vein diameter, and signs of portal hypertension. RESULTS: The hepatic artery diameters in the early LT group were significantly larger than those in the Kasai alone group both at baseline (p = 0.007) and follow-up ultrasound (p < 0.001). The portal vein diameters on follow-up ultrasound were smaller in the early LT group than the Kasai alone group (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, baseline hepatic artery diameter (hazard ratio, 20.4; 95% confidence interval, 3.7-110.6; p < 0.001) and the presence of splenomegaly at follow-up ultrasound (17.7; 2.6-121.8; p = 0.004) were significant predictors associated with early LT. The optimal cut-off value of the baseline hepatic artery diameter was 1.9 mm (82% sensitivity and 77% specificity). CONCLUSION: Enlarged hepatic artery at baseline ultrasound and the presence of splenomegaly at follow-up ultrasound were associated with early LT after Kasai in children with BA.

Modified RECIST to assess tumor response after transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma: CT-pathologic correlation in 178 liver explants.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate agreement between modified RECIST (mRECIST) assessed at Computed Tomography (CT) and pathology in a large series of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were transplanted after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: IRB approval was obtained. The study included 178 patients (M/F=155/23; mean age 55.8 ± 6.3 years) with HCC who were transplanted after TACE from January 1996 to December 2010 and with at least one CT examination before liver transplantation (LT). Two blinded independent readers retrospectively reviewed CT examinations, to assess tumor response to TACE according to mRECIST. Patients were classified in responders (complete and partial response) and non-responders (stable and progressive disease). On the explanted livers, percentage of tumor necrosis was classified as 100, >50 and <50%. RESULTS: The mean interval between latest CT and LT was 57.4 ± 39.8 days. At latest CT examination, the objective response rate was 78.1% (139/178), with 86 cases (48.3%) of complete response (CR). A good intra- (k=0.75 and 0.86) and inter-observer (k=0.81) agreement was obtained. On a per-patient basis, agreement between mRECIST and pathology was obtained in 120 patients (67.4%), with 19 cases (10.7%) of underestimation and 39 cases (21.9%) of overestimation of tumor response at CT. CT sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between responders and non-responders were 93 and 82.9%, respectively. Out of 302 nodules, sensitivity and specificity of CT in detecting complete necrosis were 87.5 and 68.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CT can overestimate tumor response after TACE. Nonetheless, mRECIST assessed at CT after TACE are reproducible and reliable in differentiating responders and non-responders.

Transient elastography is a useful noninvasive tool for the evaluation of fibrosis in paediatric chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Outcome of liver disease in children is mainly determined by severity and progression of liver fibrosis. Liver biopsy is the accepted standard for evaluating fibrosis but is limited by the need for sedation in children, sampling error, and risks including bleeding. The aim of the present study was to compare tools for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in a paediatric cohort. METHODS: Children undergoing liver biopsy for chronic liver disease were recruited and underwent transient elastography (TE). Liver biopsies were scored by a hepatohistopathologist from F0 (no fibrosis) to F4 (cirrhosis). TE was compared with biopsy score. RESULTS: During the study period, 104 children (62 boys) were enrolled (median age 13.6 years). Diagnosis was autoimmune liver disease in 27; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in 37; posttransplant in 16; hepatitis B/C in 8; Wilson disease in 5; and the remainder, miscellaneous. TE was successful in all but 7 patients and was a good discriminator of significant fibrosis (≥ F2) (P < 0.001), severe fibrosis (≥ F3) (P < 0.001), and cirrhosis (F4) (P = 0.003). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of ≥ F2, ≥ F3, and F4 using TE was 0.78, 0.79, and 0.96, respectively. TE performed best in children with autoimmune liver disease and in those posttransplant. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that TE is a reliable tool in distinguishing different stages of liver fibrosis in paediatric patients. Thus, TE may serve as a useful adjunct to liver biopsy for diagnostic purposes providing a reliable method of noninvasively monitoring liver disease progression in children.

Role of baseline echocardiography in the preoperative management of liver transplant candidates.

Liver transplantation (LT) has not traditionally been offered to patients with intracardiac shunts (ICSs) or pulmonary hypertension (PH). There is a paucity of data regarding cardiac structural characteristics in LT candidates. We examined echocardiographic characteristics and their role in managing LT candidates diagnosed with ICS and PH. We identified 502 consecutive patients (318 men, mean age 55 ± 11 years) who underwent LT and had preoperative echocardiogram. Demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and echocardiographic variables were recorded and data were analyzed for end-stage liver disease diagnosis. ICSs were diagnosed with contrast echocardiography and PH was defined as estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure >40 mm Hg. Primary end points included short-term (30-day) and long-term (mean 41-month) mortalities and the correlation between pre- and perioperative stroke. In our studied population >50% had >2 cardiovascular risk factors and with increasing frequency ICSs were diagnosed in 16%, PH in 25%, and intrapulmonary shunts in 41% of LT candidates. There was no correlation between short- and long-term mortality and ICS (p = 0.71 and 0.76, respectively) or PH (p = 0.79 and 0.71). Importantly, in those with ICS, no strokes occurred. In conclusion, structural differences exist between various end-stage liver disease diagnoses. ICSs diagnosed by echocardiography are not associated with an increased risk of perioperative stroke or increased mortality. A diagnosis of mild or moderate PH on baseline echocardiogram is not associated with worse outcomes and requires further assessment. Based on these findings, patients should not be excluded from consideration for LT based solely on the presence of an ICS or PH.

Obstruction at middle hepatic venous tributaries in modified right lobe grafts after living-donor liver Transplantation: diagnosis with contrast-enhanced US.

PURPOSE: To investigate the ability of contrast material-enhanced ultrasonography (US) to help diagnose obstruction of middle hepatic venous (MHV) tributaries soon after living-donor liver transplantation with modified right lobe grafts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved the study and waived requirement for informed consent. Sixty-five consecutive patients (48 men, 17 women; mean age, 52.8 years; range, 33-69 years) who underwent living-donor liver transplantation with modified right lobe grafts between February and May 2009 were included. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced US and Doppler US on postoperative day 1 and underwent computed tomography (CT) within 7 days after US. At contrast-enhanced US, parenchymal enhancement patterns in the territory of each MHV tributary during arterial and portal venous phases were evaluated. With use of most frequent enhancement patterns in patients with obstruction at MHV tributaries as a criterion, diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced US was compared with that of Doppler US for diagnosis of obstruction at MHV tributaries; CT was the reference standard. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for data clustering. RESULTS: Of 148 MHV tributaries in 65 patients, 36 (24.3%) in 31 patients were diagnosed as obstructed at CT. With arterial high echogenicity or portal low echogenicity used as a criterion for hepatic venous obstruction, contrast-enhanced US had sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 91% (33 of 36), 97% (109 of 112), and 95% (142 of 148), respectively, whereas Doppler US had values of 83% (30 of 36), 86% (97 of 112), and 85% (127 of 148), respectively. Contrast-enhanced US was significantly more specific and accurate than Doppler US for diagnosis of obstruction at MHV tributaries (P=.024 and .01, respectively). Arterial high echogenicity was noted only in the hepatic venous obstruction group. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced US can help accurately assess hepatic venous obstruction at MHV tributaries after living-donor liver transplantation with a modified right lobe graft. Contrast-enhanced US was significantly more specific than Doppler US, with arterial hyperenhancement in the affected area being specific to hepatic venous obstruction.

Evaluation of living liver donors using contrast enhanced multidetector CT - The radiologists impact on donor selection.

BACKGROUND: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a valuable and legitimate treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Computed tomography (CT) has proven to be an important tool in the process of donor evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of CT in the donor selection process. METHODS: Between May 1999 and October 2010 170 candidate donors underwent biphasic CT. We retrospectively reviewed the results of the CT and liver volumetry, and assessed reasons for rejection. RESULTS: 89 candidates underwent partial liver resection (52.4%). Based on the results of liver CT and volumetry 22 candidates were excluded as donors (31% of the cases). Reasons included fatty liver (n = 9), vascular anatomical variants (n = 4), incidental finding of hemangioma and focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 1) and small (n = 5) or large for size (n = 5) graft volume. CONCLUSION: CT based imaging of the liver in combination with dedicated software plays a key role in the process of evaluation of candidates for LDLT. It may account for up to 1/3 of the contraindications for LDLT.

Hepatofugal portal venous flow on Doppler sonography after liver transplantation. Analysis of presumed causes based on radiologic and pathologic features.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to categorize hepatofugal portal venous flow on Doppler sonography after liver transplantation and to investigate its clinical importance and presumed causes based on radiologic and pathologic findings. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by our Institutional Review Board, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. Examination of our database over 4 years revealed 30 patients in whom Doppler sonography showed hepatofugal portal venous flow during follow-up periods. We investigated its occurrence and clinical features, including radiologic and pathologic findings, and classified the possible causes into 5 types: A, systemic problems; B, gross vascular abnormalities correctable by intervention; C, specific cardiac problems; D, microscopic abnormalities of the graft; and E, miscellaneous. We classified the patterns of hepatofugal portal venous flow into continuous hepatofugal or hepatofugal-dominant to-and-fro flow and hepatopetal-dominant to-and-fro flow, and we investigated the relationship of the presumed causes and flow patterns with the clinical course. RESULTS: The incidence of hepatofugal portal venous flow was 2.38%. The overall mortality rate was 26.67% (95% confidence interval, 11.1%-42.9%): all patients (n = 5) in group A, 1 in group C, and 2 in group D, died. Possible cause type B and a mainly hepatopetal flow pattern were good prognostic factors (P = .031 and .018, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatofugal portal venous flow reflects diverse pathologic conditions after liver transplantation, and its clinical importance also differs depending on the cause.

Automated liver volumetry in orthotopic liver transplantation using multiphase acquisitions on MDCT.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test a new automated hepatic volumetry technique by comparing the accuracies and postprocessing times of manual and automated liver volume segmentation methods in a patient population undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation so that liver volume could be determined on pathology as the standard of reference. CONCLUSION: Both manual and automated multiphase MDCT-based volume measurements were strongly correlated to liver volume (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.87 [p < 0.0001] and 0.90 [p < 0.0001], respectively). Automated multiphase segmentation was significantly more rapid than manual segmentation (mean time, 16 ± 5 [SD] and 86 ± 3 seconds, respectively; p = 0.01). Overall, automated liver volumetry based on multiphase CT acquisitions is feasible and more rapid than manual segmentation.

Doppler sonography of patients with and without acute cellular rejection after right-lobe living donor liver transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: To compare percent interval changes in the portal blood flow velocity (%PBV) and venous pulsatility index (%VPI), as determined by Doppler sonography, in patients with and without acute cellular rejection after right-lobe living donor liver transplantation. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection underwent Doppler sonography. The control group consisted of 47 age- and sex-matched patients without acute cellular rejection. Doppler spectrograms of the portal vein and right hepatic vein were used to calculate mean peak PBVs and VPIs for the first 3 days after right-lobe living donor liver transplantation, defined as PBV(Baseline) and VPI(Baseline). The PBV and VPI closest in time to biopsy in the patient group or at a matched time in the control group were determined as PBV(Event) and VPI(Event), and %PBV and %VPI values were calculated. RESULTS: The mean PBV(Baseline) values ± SD in the rejection and control groups were 46.0 ± 21.8 and 44.4 ± 20.5 cm/s, respectively; the PBV(Event) values were 32.2 ± 14.5 and 34.4 ± 17.1 cm/s; and the %PBV values were 19.4% ± 39.9% and 2.2% ± 75.4% (P = .73; P = .38; P = .17, respectively). The VPI(Baseline) values were 0.92 ± 0.34 and 0.93 P = .94; P < .001); and the ± 0.38; the VPI(Event) values were 0.46 ± 0.33 and 0.84 ± 0.44 (%VPI values were 45.5% ± 40.1% and 5.6% ± 47.3%, with a greater than 50% VPI observed more frequently in the rejection than in the control group (61.7% versus 12.8%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The VPI(Event) was significantly lower and a greater than 50% VPI was significantly more frequent in patients with than without acute cellular rejection after right-lobe living donor liver transplantation.

Right ventricular function during orthotopic liver transplantation: three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and thermodilution.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) function is an important aspect of anesthesia management during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Because of its geometrical complexity, assessment of RV dimensions with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a difficult task. The aim of this prospective single-site study was to investigate the feasibility of intraoperative assessment of RV parameters based on reconstructive three-dimensional (3D) TEE and to compare the measurements to thermodilution-derived values acquired with a modified pulmonary artery catheter. MATERIAL/METHODS: Measurements were performed at four different time points during 30 OLT with 3D-TEE. At the same time comparative values of RV parameters were acquired with a fast-response thermistor pulmonary artery catheter. RESULTS: 3D reconstruction was feasible in all patients. RV dimensions measured with 3D-TEE averaged 119.4 ml (± 38.5 ml) for enddiastolic and 68.9 ml (± 27.7 ml) for endsystolic volumes. The RV ejection fraction was 42.2% (± 9.3%). The volumes obtained by thermodilution were 263.7 ml (± 64.5 ml) enddiastolic and 159.3 ml (± 47.5 ml) endsystolic, both significantly greater than by 3D-TEE, and the ejection fraction was found to be 39.5% (± 8.4%). No correlation was found between the volumes or the function determined by either method. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstructive 3D-TEE is a viable technique during OLT and leads to plausible RV parameters. However, no correlation was found with simultaneous measurements or parameters performed with thermodilution. However, based on our data cardiac output measurements by thermodilution appear reasonable. Due to both lack of agreement with 3D-TEE and extraordinary high RV volumes the question about the most valuable monitoring technique of RV dimensions and function during OLT can not finally be answered.

V5-drainage-preserved right lobe grafts improve graft congestion for living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Right lobe (RL) grafts without middle hepatic vein for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) result in congestion of recipients' livers and sometimes in unfavorable postoperative course. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of our new V5-drainage-preserved RL (VP-RL) graft. METHODS: Based on a review of 49 donors' livers in a retrospective study using three-dimensional reconstruction-computed tomography volumetry, hepatic vein draining segment 4 (V4) anatomy was classified into three types: inferior V4 dominant (A); superior V4 dominant (B); and umbilical vein to left hepatic vein dominant (C). Differences in functional graft volume (GV) and remnant liver volume (RV) between VP-RL and modified RL (M-RL) grafts with all three types were evaluated. In a prospective study of actual 15 LDLT, the outcome of venous reconstruction and postoperative parameters with VP-RL grafts compared with M-RL grafts was analyzed. RESULTS: In the retrospective study using three-dimensional reconstruction-computed tomography volumetry, in types B and C, functional GV of VP-RL was larger than that of M-RL (P<0.05) without impaired donors' functional RV, whereas functional RV in VP-RL was significantly decreased in type A (P<0.05). In the prospective study of actual 15 LDLT, using VP-RL with types B and C, size and number of venous reconstructions, and functional GV and postoperative parameters, such as postoperative serum total bilirubin levels and ascites volume, were significantly improved compared with those using M-RL (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Using preoperative V4 anatomical classification, VP-RL graft procurement is a valuable strategy in RL-LDLT to improve postoperative course of both recipients and donors.