title: Contrast-Enhanced Sonography for Diagnosing Collateral Transformation of the Hepatic Artery After Liver Transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the contrast-enhanced sonographic features of hepatic artery collateral transformation in patients with hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine liver transplant recipients who underwent contrast-enhanced sonography were recruited from April 2004 to May 2014. The reference standards were conventional angiography and computed tomographic angiography. The contrast-enhanced sonographic features of the hepatic artery in patients with and without collateral arteries were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 15 patients with hepatic artery collateral transformation had hepatic artery thrombosis (10 of 15) or hepatic artery stenosis (5 of 15). The collateral artery detection rate on contrast-enhanced sonography was 100%. The peripheral hepatic artery could not be visualized by contrast-enhanced sonography in most of the patients with hepatic artery collateral transformation (14 of 15). Additionally, many small tortuous collateral arteries in the porta hepatis region were visualized during the arterial and early portal phases, showing reticulated/patchy (15 of 15) and striped (3 of 15) enhancement patterns on contrast-enhanced sonography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collateral transformation of the hepatic artery in patients with hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation appears to have characteristic features on contrast-enhanced sonography, especially a reticulated or patchy enhancement pattern in the porta hepatis region during the arterial and early portal phases combined with the absence of the peripheral hepatic artery. Contrast-enhanced sonography may be a novel method for diagnosing hepatic artery collateral transformation, which may be a highly specific sign of hepatic artery thrombosis or stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Su-Qin
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. 13640680354@163.com.
authors.forename: Rong-Qin
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Ultrasonics (S.-Q.L., J.R., R.-Q.Z., P.W.) and Radiology (X.-C.M., M.-S.H.), Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D003287:Contrast Media; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: contrast agent; hepatic artery; liver transplantation; postoperative complications; sonography