Journal of Korean Society of Medical Ultrasound 2001;20(1): 15-21.
Evaluation of Early Vascular Complications after Liver Transplantation: Usefulness of Power Doppler US with a Microbubble Contrast Agent - Preliminary Results.
1Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine. 2Department of General Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.
Published online: March 1, 2001.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) with a microbubble contrast agent in assessing the early vascular complications after liver transplantation (LT). MATERIALS and METHODS: In 15 patients with orthotopic LT (n = 12) and living-related donor LT (n = 3), PDUS examinations, before and after intravenous injection of a microbubble contrast agent, (Levovist ; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) were performed one-day after the LT. We compared the results of unenhanced PDUS with those of contrast-enhanced PDUS in terms of depicting the complications and conspicuity of the lesions. RESULTS: In three (20%) of 15 patients, flow signal of hepatic artery was not detected on unen-hanced PDUS, while contrast-enhanced PDUS showed flow signals of the hepatic artery in all patients. Both unenhanced and contrast-enhanced PDUS showed portal vein thromboses in two (13%) of 15 patients, but conspicuity of portal vein thromboses was better appreciated on contrast-enhanced PDUS. CONCLUSION: Compared with unenhanced PDUS, contrast-enhanced PDUS showed better detection of hepatic arterial flow and increased conspicuity of portal vein thrombosis one-day after LT. Our preliminary data suggest that contrast-enhanced PDUS can be a promising noninvasive technique in assessing the early vascular complications after LT.
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