Radiology, Vol 207, 153-160, Copyright © 1998 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Vascular complications of liver transplantation: evaluation with gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography

DB Stafford-Johnson, BH Hamilton, Q Dong, KJ Cho, JG Turcotte, RJ Fontana and MR Prince
Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0030, USA.

PURPOSE: To evaluate use of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in detection of vascular complications of liver transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen liver transplant recipients suspected to have vascular complications were evaluated with gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography by using a three-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo breath-hold technique during the arterial and venous phases of a high-dose (42 mL) bolus injection of gadolinium contrast material. Conventional angiography (n = 11) and surgery (n = 3) were used as the standard of reference. The transplant hepatic artery, celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, portal vein, superior mesenteric vein, splenic vein, hepatic veins, and inferior vena cava (IVC) were evaluated for thrombosis or stenosis by two radiologists. RESULTS: Ten vascular complications were identified with conventional angiography or surgery: transplant hepatic artery thrombosis (n = 3) or stenosis (n = 3), portal vein stenosis (n = 1) or occlusion (n = 2), and suprahepatic IVC stenosis (n = 1). All 10 complications were correctly diagnosed with MR angiography. There was agreement between results of MR angiography and conventional angiography or surgery in 58 of 62 vessels evaluated (94%). There was minor disagreement in four vessels (6%). CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography may have the potential to enable accurate diagnosis of vascular complications of liver transplantation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. H. M. Caiado, R. Blasbalg, A. S. Z. Marcelino, M. da Cunha Pinho, M. C. Chammas, C. da Costa Leite, G. G. Cerri, A. C. de Oliveira, T. Bacchella, and M. C. C. Machado Complications of Liver Transplantation: Multimodality Imaging Approach RadioGraphics, September 1, 2007; 27(5): 1401 - 1417. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Berrocal, M. Parron, A. Alvarez-Luque, C. Prieto, and M. L. Santamaria Pediatric liver transplantation: a pictorial essay of early and late complications. RadioGraphics, July 1, 2006; 26(4): 1187 - 1209. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kubo, T. Shibata, K. Itoh, Y. Maetani, H. Isoda, M. Hiraoka, H. Egawa, K. Tanaka, and K. Togashi Outcome of percutaneous transhepatic venoplasty for hepatic venous outflow obstruction after living donor liver transplantation. Radiology, April 1, 2006; 239(1): 285 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. S. Kim, T. K. Kim, D. J. Jung, J. H. Kim, I. Y. Bae, K.-B. Sung, P. N. Kim, H. K. Ha, S. G. Lee, and M.-G. Lee Vascular Complications After Living Related Liver Transplantation: Evaluation with Gadolinium-Enhanced Three-Dimensional MR Angiography Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2003; 181(2): 467 - 474. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Matsuo, M. Kanematsu, T. Kim, M. Hori, M. Takamura, T. Murakami, H. Kondo, N. Moriyama, H. Nakamura, and H. Hoshi Esophageal Varices: Diagnosis with Gadolinium-Enhanced MR Imaging of the Liver for Patients with Chronic Liver Damage Am. J. Roentgenol., February 1, 2003; 180(2): 461 - 466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A S Shaw, S M Ryan, R C Beese, S Norris, M Bowles, M Rela, and P S Sidhu Liver transplantation Imaging, August 1, 2002; 14(4): 314 - 328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. V. Pandharipande, V. S. Lee, G. R. Morgan, L. W. Teperman, G. A. Krinsky, N. M. Rofsky, M.-C. Roy, and J. C. Weinreb Vascular and Extravascular Complications of Liver Transplantation: Comprehensive Evaluation with Three-Dimensional Contrast-Enhanced Volumetric MR Imaging and MR Cholangiopancreatography Am. J. Roentgenol., November 1, 2001; 177(5): 1101 - 1107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. F. Glockner Three-dimensional Gadolinium-enhanced MR Angiography: Applications for Abdominal Imaging RadioGraphics, March 1, 2001; 21(2): 357 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Ito, E. S. Siegelman, A. H. Stolpen, and D. G. Mitchell MR Imaging of Complications After Liver Transplantation Am. J. Roentgenol., October 1, 2000; 175(4): 1145 - 1149. [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. S. Lee, M. T. Lavelle, N. M. Rofsky, G. Laub, D. M. Thomasson, G. A. Krinsky, and J. C. Weinreb Hepatic MR Imaging with a Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Isotropic Volumetric Interpolated Breath-hold Examination: Feasibility, Reproducibility, and Technical Quality Radiology, May 1, 2000; 215(2): 365 - 372. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. F. Glockner, A. R. Forauer, H. Solomon, C. R. Varma, and W. H. Perman Three-Dimensional Gadolinium-Enhanced MR Angiography of Vascular Complications After Liver Transplantation Am. J. Roentgenol., May 1, 2000; 174(5): 1447 - 1453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Ernst, V. Asnar, G. Sergent, E. Lederman, L. Nicol, J.-C. Paris, and C. L'Hermine Comparing Contrast-Enhanced Breath-Hold MR Angiography and Conventional Angiography Am. J. Roentgenol., February 1, 2000; 174(2): 433 - 439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]