Prevalence of incomplete interlobar fissures of the lung.

BACKGROUND: Some patients benefit from accurate integrity assessment of pulmonary fissures. There are a number of methods for the assessment of incomplete interlobar fissures: imaging techniques, endobronchial methods measuring collateral air flow, a perioperative view, and autopsies used in research into pulmonary anatomy. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a computerized advanced search for primary evidence in the PubMed (Public/Publisher MEDLINE) and Google Scholar electronic databases using the following terms: incomplete and fissure. The search was not restricted to the English literature, nor limited by publication time. The bibliographic search was then extended to the "Related Articles" links and to the list of literature references of each article. CONCLUSION: Publications have consistently shown that interlobar fissures exhibit high variability and that preoperative or at least detailed perioperative assessment can influence the effect of treatment.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using new negative per-oral contrast agent based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for extrahepatic biliary duct visualization in liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is often used for imaging of the biliary tree and is required by surgeons before liver transplantation. Advanced liver cirrhosis and ascites in patients however present diagnostic problems for MRCP. The aim of this study was to find out if the use of our negative per-oral contrast agent containing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) in MRCP is helpful for imaging of hepatobiliary tree in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Forty patients with liver cirrhosis were examined on a 1.5 T MR unit using standard MRCP protocol. Twenty patients (group A) underwent MRCP after administration of per-oral SPIO contrast agent 30 min before examination. In group B, twenty patients were examined without per-oral bowel preparation. Ascites was present in eleven patients from group A and in thirteen patients in group B. Four radiologists analyzed MR images for visibility and delineation of the biliary tree. χ2 tests were used for comparison of the visibility of intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with and without ascites. RESULTS: Better extrahepatic biliary duct visualization and visibility of extraluminal pathologies in patients with ascites was proved after administration of SPIO contrast agent. No statistically significant difference between group A and B was found for visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients without ascites. Delineation of intrahepatic biliary ducts was independent on bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Application of our negative per-oral SPIO contrast agent before MRCP improves the visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with ascites which is helpful during the liver surgery, mainly in liver transplantation.