Related Experiment Videos
Spectrum of CT findings in pediatric patients after partial liver transplantation
1Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu 606-8507, Japan.
Insights
Living related donor partial liver transplantation expands donor availability for pediatric liver disease patients. Imaging like ultrasonography and computed tomography are crucial for diagnosing post-transplant complications.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Transplant Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Liver transplantation is a vital treatment for severe liver disease.
- Reduced-size and split-liver techniques, along with living related donor partial liver transplantation, have significantly broadened the donor pool, especially for pediatric recipients.
- Living related donor partial liver transplantation offers a critical solution to donor organ scarcity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the key complications following living related donor partial liver transplantation.
- To highlight the roles of ultrasonography and computed tomography in diagnosing these post-transplant complications.
Main Methods:
- Review of common complications associated with living related donor partial liver transplantation.
- Description of the utility of ultrasonography for vascular assessment.
- Explanation of computed tomography's role in evaluating hepatic parenchyma and extrahepatic findings.
Main Results:
- Common complications include vascular issues (hepatic arterial thrombosis, portal/hepatic venous stenosis/thrombosis), biliary problems (stenosis, leak, biloma), and parenchymal changes (fatty liver, infarction, congestion).
- Extrahepatic complications such as fluid collections, varicose veins, and lymphadenopathy can also occur.
- Ultrasonography is the primary tool for vascular evaluation, while computed tomography aids in diagnosing parenchymal and extrahepatic abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- Living related donor partial liver transplantation is a valuable strategy to increase donor availability.
- Post-transplant complications are diverse, necessitating vigilant monitoring.
- Diagnostic imaging, particularly ultrasonography and computed tomography, plays an indispensable role in the timely detection and management of complications after liver transplantation.
Abstract:
Liver transplantation is an accepted therapy for patients with severe liver diseases. In pediatric liver transplantation, the application of reduced-size and split-liver transplantation has expanded the donor pool. The development of living related donor partial liver transplantation has further increased the availability of donors. Complications in patients after living related transplantation include hepatic arterial thrombosis, portal venous stenosis and thrombosis, hepatic venous stenosis, biliary stenosis or leak, biloma formation, fatty liver, extrahepatic fluid collection, posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder, and organ rejection. Ultrasonography is the primary imaging modality for evaluation of the vascular system of patients after liver transplantation, and computed tomography is useful to help diagnose hepatic parenchymal abnormalities including infarction, congestion, and fatty change; intrahepatic biliary damage; and extrahepatic disorders, including abnormal fluid collections, varicose veins, and lymphadenopathy.