The radiologist's role in managing paediatric liver transplantation: personal experience with 40 patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the radiologist's role in managing paediatric orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) through a retrospective review of our experience in diagnosing and treating post-OLT complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty children (mean age 4.6 years) underwent 44 OLTs over 71 months. The follow-up period (mean 724 days) was divided into three phases: hospital stay, up to three months after discharge and subsequent period. The number and type of radiological examinations, radiologically detectable complications and interventional procedures were analysed. RESULTS: Most examinations were carried out with ultrasound (US) (859/931 of all radiological studies performed during the first two phases, 92.3%). Colour-Doppler US enabled early detection and treatment of all vascular complications (9/40, 22.5% of patients; 13 complications in nine patients, eight arterial and five portal complications; 1.4 for each patient with complications). Computed tomography (CT) or angiography was very rarely employed. US also detected biliary complications (11 patients, 27.5%: three cases of segmental ducts excluded from the anastomosis, four cases of stenosis of the biliodigestive anastomosis, one lithiasis, three stenoses associated with lithiasis), which were successfully managed in 75% of the cases treated with interventional radiology procedures (percutaneous bilioplasty and/or lithotripsy). At the time of writing this paper, the patient survival rate was 100%, and the organ survival rate was 91% (40/44). There were four re-transplantations: three due to hepatic artery thrombosis and one to biliary stenosis with lithiasis. CONCLUSIONS: The radiologist's role is fundamental for early sonographic diagnosis of post-OLT complications in children. Vascular complications are often associated in a single patient, and early treatment may improve the prognosis. Interventional radiology represents a safe and effective treatment for many biliary complications.

Polarization-independent Kerr coefficient measurement in optical fibers.

A novel cross-phase modulation scheme that permits measurement of the optical Kerr coefficient in nonpolarization-preserving fiber is presented. The scheme is based on a Michelson-type interferometer in which one mirror is replaced by an orthoconjugated mirror. The use of this device leads to an effective insensitivity with respect to the state of polarization of the probe and pump beams.

[Early diagnosis of intestinal infarcts]. / La diagnosi precoce degli infarti intestinali.

In view of the often poor prognosis of intestinal infarctions personal experience and reports in the literature are reviewed in order to identify the clinical, laboratory and radiological dates that can contribute to early diagnosis. It is concluded that only emergency selective arteriography of the upper mesenteric artery will enable the surgeon to diagnose and accurately locate the infarction.