Prevalence and clinical relevance of liver dysfunction after thoracic surgery: a retrospective study.

Postoperative elevation of serum aminotransferase or alkaline phosphatase levels after liver and heart surgeries has been widely reported. The prevalence and clinical significance of hypertransaminasemia/liver dysfunction after thoracic surgery remains largely unknown. Significant differences in surgical procedures between thoracic and extra-thoracic surgeries may suggest different risks of liver dysfunction. We retrospectively analyzed data from 224 consecutive patients who underwent thoracic surgery. Liver function tests were recorded the day before surgery, 12 h, 1 day, 5, and 10 days after the surgical procedure. Patients were studied to identify the frequency of hypertransaminasemia and/or hyperbilirubinemia and/or increase of INR levels. 37,5% of patients showed an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level after thoracic surgery, whereas an increase in gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) serum levels of any grade was observed in 53,6% of patients. Approximately 83% of patients who experienced an increase in the serum GGT or ALT levels showed a grade 1 or 2 change. Operative time was associated with hypertransaminasemia in the univariate and multivariate analyses, whereas the use of metformin was associated with a lower risk of ALT increase.

Asymptomatic saccular portal vein aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature.

Portal vein aneurysms are rare abnormal dilations of the portal vein and represent less than 3% of all visceral aneurysms. They may be congenital or acquired, symptomatic or asymptomatic, complicated or uncomplicated. Portal vein aneurysms may be fusiform or saccular and this last one has a low prevalence. Due to the small number of cases reported in the medical literature and the lack of specific guidelines, the management and treatment of this condition is still undefined. In this review, we report a case of saccular portal vein aneurysm in a 73-year old man with liver cirrhosis and discuss all cases of portal vein aneurysms reported in literature.