Vessel-Guided Mesohepatectomy for Liver Partition and Staged Major Parenchyma-Sparing Hepatectomies with Super-Selective Portal Vein Embolization or Enhanced ALPPS to Achieve R0 Resection for Colorectal Liver Metastases at the Hepatocaval Confluence.

Background. R0 minor parenchyma-sparing hepatectomy (PSH) is feasible for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) in contact with hepatic veins (HV) at hepatocaval confluence since HV can be reconstructed, but in the case of contact with the first-order glissonean pedicle (GP), major hepatectomy is mandatory. To pursue an R0 parenchyma-sparing policy, we proposed vessel-guided mesohepatectomy for liver partition (MLP) and eventually combination with liver augmentation techniques for staged major PSH. Methods. We analyzed 15 consecutive vessel-guided MLPs for CRLM at the hepatocaval confluence. Patients had a median of 11 (range: 0-67) lesions with a median diameter of 3.5 cm (range: 0.0-8.0), bilateral in 73% of cases. Results. Grade IIIb or more complications occurred in 13%, median hospital stay was 14 (range: 6-62) days, 90-day mortality was 0%. After a median follow-up of 17.5 months, 1-year OS and RFS were 92% and 62%. In nine (64%) patients, MLP was combined with portal vein embolization (PVE) or ALPPS to perform staged R0 major PSH. Future liver remnant (FLR) volume increased from a median of 15% (range: 7-20%) up to 41% (range: 37-69%). Super-selective PVE was performed in three (33%) patients and enhanced ALPPS (e-ALPPS) in six (66%). In two e-ALPPS an intermediate stage of deportalized liver PSH was necessary to achieve adequate FLR volume. Conclusions. Vessel-guided MLP may transform the liver in a paired organ. In selected cases of multiple bilobar CRLM, to guarantee oncological radicality (R0), major PSH is feasible combining advanced surgical parenchyma sparing with liver augmentation techniques when FLR volume is insufficient.

Exploring the Outcome of Disappearance or Small Remnants of Colorectal Liver Metastases during First-Line Chemotherapy on Hepatobiliary Contrast-Enhanced and Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging.

We aimed to evaluate the outcome of the disappearance or small remnants of colorectal liver metastases during first-line chemotherapy assessed by hepatobiliary contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DW-MRI). Consecutive patients with at least one disappearing liver metastasis (DLM) or small residual liver metastases (≤10 mm) assessed by hepatobiliary contrast-enhanced and DW-MRI during first-line chemotherapy were included. Liver lesions were categorized into three groups: DLM; residual tiny liver metastases (RTLM) when ≤5 mm; small residual liver metastases (SRLM) when >5mm and ≤10 mm. The outcome of resected liver metastases was assessed in terms of pathological response, whereas lesions left in situ were evaluated in terms of local relapse or progression. Fifty-two outpatients with 265 liver lesions were radiologically reviewed; 185 metastases fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 40 DLM, 82 RTLM and 60 SRLM. We observed a pCR rate of 75% (3/4) in resected DLM and 33% (12/36) of local relapse for DLM left in situ. We observed a risk of relapse of 29% and 57% for RTLM and SRLM left in situ, respectively, and a pCR rate of about 40% overall for resected lesions. DLM assessed via hepatobiliary contrast-enhanced and DW-MRI very probably indicates a complete response. The surgical removal of small remnants of liver metastases should always be advocated whenever technically possible.

Graft complications following orthotopic liver transplantation: Role of non-invasive cross-sectional imaging techniques.

Orthotopic liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in adult patients with endstage liver disease. Survival of both graft and patient has progressively improved over time due to improvements in surgical and medical treatment. However, post-transplant complications still have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality associated with transplant surgery. The most common adverse events of the graft include vascular (arterial and venous stenosis and thrombosis), biliary (leakage, strictures, stones) and parenchymal complications (hepatitis virus C infection, HCC recurrence, liver abscesses). The diagnosis of these adverse events is often challenging because of the low specificity of clinical and biologic findings. Different diagnostic algorithms have been proposed for the detection of graft complications and, in this setting, radiological evaluation plays a key role in differential diagnosis of graft complications and the exclusion of other adverse events. Ultrasound examination is established the first-line method of identifying adverse events in liver transplant recipients but a normal or a technically unsatisfactory study cannot exclude the presence of biliary, vascular and/or parenchymal complications. In these circumstances, before planning any treatment, multi-detector CT and/or MR imaging and MR cholangiography should be performed for the evaluation of vascular structures, biliary system, liver parenchyma and fluid collections. The aim of this review is to illustrate the role and state-of-the-art of non-invasive cross-sectional imaging techniques in the diagnosis and management of complications which primarily affect the graft in patients after liver transplantation.

Guidelines for imaging focal lesions in liver cirrhosis.

Imaging cirrhotic patients for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma remains a challenging issue despite many technological advances. In fact, nonmalignant hepatocellular lesions, such as regenerative or dysplastic nodules, may mimic a small tumor. Imaging protocols are aimed at showing the different vascular supply to the lesion. It is accepted that dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging techniques, including contrast ultrasound, multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, can establish the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in nodular lesions larger than 1 cm showing arterial hypervascularization with venous washout. Magnetic resonance imaging in combination with liver-specific contrast agents, including hepatocyte-targeted and reticuloendothelial system-targeted agents, may be useful to clarify questionable cases, due to its ability to show changes in hepatobiliary function or Kuppfer cell content associated with malignancy. However, even optimized imaging techniques remain relatively insensitive for the detection of tiny satellite nodules associated with the main tumor.