Vascular thrombosis in acute hepatic allograft rejection: scintigraphic appearance

Hepatobiliary imaging with 99mTc diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid was employed serially in a patient with an hepatic allograft, in order to follow the function of the transplant. Initially improving liver uptake and biliary excretion was observed; however, 12 days postoperative with clinical deterioration the scintigrams revealed an absence of uptake ("phantom" liver), due to thrombosis of the hepatic artery related to acute rejection. Hepatobiliary imaging can be helpful in the study of hepatic allografts.