title: [CT angiography for the evaluation of adult orthotopic liver transplantation arterial complications].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we compared duplex Doppler sonography, conventional angiography and CT angiography for the evaluation of hepatic arterial complications following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).
  
  
  METHODS
  CT angiography, with Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) and Volume Rendering reconstructions, was performed in 11 patients with well-grounded suspect of hepatic artery stenosis or thrombosis after routine duplex Doppler examination. Eight patients underwent conventional angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT detected three out of four duplex doppler false positives and confirmed the diagnostic suspect in four cases. In two cases it showed a shift of the blood flow towards the splenic artery with hepatic hypoperfusion. In one case a wrong delay rendered the study unuseful. In seven out of eight patients conventional angiography confirmed CT angiography findings. DISCUSSION. The follow up of OLT arterial complications is now performed with duplex doppler sonography; this technique has a satisfactory sensitivity and specificity, but far from 100%. Therefore in some patients the diagnosis of arterial obstruction might be delayed, with the risk of serious complications; in other cases with ultrasonographic false positive findings, useless angiographic examinations are performed. In our experience CT angiography proved to be a precious tool, which might be included in the diagnostic algorithm of arterial complications after OLT. Particularly CT angiography seems to be suitable for the cases of discordance between clinical and duplex doppler findings, to improve the overall diagnostic accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience CT-angiography proved to be accurate and satisfactory as a second step examination after duplex-doppler in the diagnostic algorythm of adult OLT arterial complications.
authors.affiliation: Radiologia III, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy. mpiolanti@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piolanti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabbro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pascali
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grazi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gavelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex