Multidetector computed tomographic cholangiography in the evaluation of potential living liver donors.
BACKGROUND
Lacking awareness of biliary variations causes complications in adult living donor liver transplantation. The study was performed to determine the diagnostic value of preoperative multidetector computed tomographic cholangiography (MDCT-CA).


METHODS
MDCT-CA after the intravenous administration of meglumine iodipamide was performed in 12 potential liver donors. MDCT angiography was added to depict the topographic relationship between biliary and vascular structures. MDCT findings were correlated with intraoperative findings (n=7).


RESULTS
MDCT-CA was diagnostic in all 12 patients. Nine patients revealed variants in biliary anatomy: drainage from liver segment four into right hepatic duct (n=4), additional segmental ducts draining into common (n=4) or left hepatic duct (n=2), and trifurcation at the upper confluence (n=1). Biliary vascular topography was variable and well depicted. Intraoperative assessment confirmed the preoperative findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Variations in biliary anatomy appear to be the rule rather than the exception. MDCT-CA represents a noninvasive means for accurately assessing biliary morphology.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Germany. Tobias.Schroeder@uni-essen.de
Tobias
T
Schroeder
Massimo
M
Malagó
Jörg F
JF
Debatin
Giuliano
G
Testa
Silvio
S
Nadalin
Christoph E
CE
Broelsch
Stefan G
SG
Ruehm
D000328:Adult; D002758:Cholangiography; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed