Hallazgos en tomografia computada multidetector en el diagnóstico del carcinoma hepatocelular en pacientes con cirrosis y su correlación con la anatomia patológica del explante hepático / Findings in multidetector computed tomography in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis and correlation with pathology of liver explants

Objetivos: Describir el comportamiento imagenológico del hepatocarcinoma en pacientes con cirrosis utilizando la tomografía computada multidetector (TCMD) dinámica y correlacionar los hallazgos con el grado histológico de los tumores. Materiales y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, observacional y descriptivo, donde se evaluaron 51 nódulos de 32 pacientes trasplantados de hígado con diagnóstico de cirrosis. La anatomía patológica del explante fue utilizada como referencia y los nódulos con histología de hepatocarcinoma fueron analizados retrospectivamente en las tomografías computadas efectuadas antes del trasplante. Las tomografías se llevaron a cabo con técnica dinámica, evaluando las características más frecuentes reportadas en la literatura: realce arterial, lavado del realce, cápsula y vasos arteriales intratumorales. Resultados: Cuarenta y seis de 51 (90%) tumores mostraron realce arterial. De estos 46 tumores, 39 (85%) mostraron lavado del realce en la fase portal y/o tardía. De los 51, 5 (10%) fueron hipovasculares, 22 (43%) presentaron cápsula y 12 (24%) mostraron vasos arteriales intratumorales. La combinación de hallazgos más frecuente fue la asociación de realce arterial y lavado del realce en la fase portal-tardía (39/51 tumores: 76%), y el grado histológico más usual fue el II en 35 tumores (69%). Se hallaron asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre el grado histológico de los tumores y los comportamientos imagenológicos realce arterial e hipovascular. Conclusión: En nuestra población, el hallazgo tomográfico de realce arterial con lavado del realce en tiempo portal y/o tardío fue observado en la mayoría de los tumores. Esto coincide con publicaciones anteriores y contribuye a fortalecer el valor de estos criterios para el diagnóstico del hepatocarcinoma.(AU)

Objectives: To describe the imagenological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients using a dynamic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) technique, and correlate these fi ndings with histological tumor grades. Materials and methods: A retrospective, descriptive observational study was conducted to evaluate 51 nodules in 32 liver transplant patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. The pathology of liver explants was used as a reference. Nodules with hepatocellular carcinoma histopathology were retrospectively analyzed by computed tomography scans performed pre-transplant. Using a dynamic multidetector computed tomography technique, we evaluated the mos common imagenological behavior reported in the literature: arterial enhancement, washout, capsule, and intratumoral arterial vessels. Results: Forty-six of 51 (90%) tumors showed arterial enhancement. Of the 46 tumors with arterial enhancement, 39 (85%) had washout in portal-late phase. Five of 51 (10%) were hypovascular. Twenty-two of 51 (43%) had capsule and 12 of 51 (24%) showed intratumoral arterial vessels. The more frequent image combination was the combination of arterial enhancement and washout (39 of 51 tumors or 76%). The most frequent histological grade was II (35 of 51 tumors or 69%). Statistically signifi cant relationships were found between histological grade tumors and imagenological behavior: arterial enhancement and hypovascular. Conclusion: In our population, arterial enhancement with washout in portal-late phases was observed in most of the tumors. Our results are consistent with previously reported studies, demonstrating the high reliability of this imaging pattern for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.(AU)

Hallazgos en tomografía computada multidetector en el diagnóstico del carcinoma hepatocelular en pacientes con cirrosis y su correlación con la anatomía patológica del explante hepático / Findings in multidetector computed tomography in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis and correlation with pathology of liver explants

Objetivos: Describir el comportamiento imagenológico del hepatocarcinoma en pacientes con cirrosis utilizando la tomografía computada multidetector (TCMD) dinámica y correlacionar los hallazgos con el grado histológico de los tumores. Materiales y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, observacional y descriptivo, donde se evaluaron 51 nódulos de 32 pacientes trasplantados de hígado con diagnóstico de cirrosis. La anatomía patológica del explante fue utilizada como referencia y los nódulos con histología de hepatocarcinoma fueron analizados retrospectivamente en las tomografías computadas efectuadas antes del trasplante. Las tomografías se llevaron a cabo con técnica dinámica, evaluando las características más frecuentes reportadas en la literatura: realce arterial, lavado del realce, cápsula y vasos arteriales intratumorales. Resultados: Cuarenta y seis de 51 (90%) tumores mostraron realce arterial. De estos 46 tumores, 39 (85%) mostraron lavado del realce en la fase portal y/o tardía. De los 51, 5 (10%) fueron hipovasculares, 22 (43%) presentaron cápsula y 12 (24%) mostraron vasos arteriales intratumorales. La combinación de hallazgos más frecuente fue la asociación de realce arterial y lavado del realce en la fase portal-tardía (39/51 tumores: 76%), y el grado histológico más usual fue el II en 35 tumores (69%). Se hallaron asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre el grado histológico de los tumores y los comportamientos imagenológicos realce arterial e hipovascular. Conclusión: En nuestra población, el hallazgo tomográfico de realce arterial con lavado del realce en tiempo portal y/o tardío fue observado en la mayoría de los tumores. Esto coincide con publicaciones anteriores y contribuye a fortalecer el valor de estos criterios para el diagnóstico del hepatocarcinoma...

Objectives: To describe the imagenological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients using a dynamic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) technique, and correlate these fi ndings with histological tumor grades.Materials and methods: A retrospective, descriptive observational study was conducted to evaluate 51 nodules in 32 liver transplant patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. The pathology of liver explants was used as a reference. Nodules with hepatocellular carcinoma histopathology were retrospectively analyzed by computed tomography scans performed pre-transplant. Using a dynamic multidetector computed tomography technique, we evaluated the mos common imagenological behavior reported in the literature: arterial enhancement, washout, capsule, and intratumoral arterial vessels.Results: Forty-six of 51 (90%) tumors showed arterial enhancement. Of the 46 tumors with arterial enhancement, 39 (85%) had washout in portal-late phase. Five of 51 (10%) were hypovascular. Twenty-two of 51 (43%) had capsule and 12 of 51 (24%) showed intratumoral arterial vessels. The more frequent image combination was the combination of arterial enhancement and washout (39 of 51 tumors or 76%). The most frequent histological grade was II (35 of 51 tumors or 69%). Statistically signifi cant relationships were found between histological grade tumors and imagenological behavior: arterial enhancement and hypovascular. Conclusion: In our population, arterial enhancement with washout in portal-late phases was observed in most of the tumors. Our results are consistent with previously reported studies, demonstrating the high reliability of this imaging pattern for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma...

Evaluation of calprotectin level in intestinal content as an early marker for graft rejection.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of rejection after intestinal transplantation is still performed by endoscopic biopsy monitoring. Less invasive diagnostic procedures are desirable, although they are not available so far. Calprotectin, a stable cytosolic granulocyte protein, which previously was used as a marker of inflammatory processes, has been proposed to be a biochemical marker for rejection. The aim of the present work was to analyze the concordance between calprotectin levels in intestinal content and the presence of graft rejection after small bowel transplantation. METHODS: Calprotectin level was measured using a commercial ELISA kit on 137 samples of intestinal content randomly collected during endoscopies performed on 11 intestinal transplantation patients during 2 years' follow-up. Calprotectin determinations were correlated with histological and clinical findings. The cut-off level was determined retrospectively by receiver-operator curve analysis. RESULTS: Based on histological findings and clinical records, samples were discerned as rejection positive (37 of 137), versus negative (35 of 137) samples or those with no clinical, endoscopic, or histological findings (65 of 137 samples). A cut-off value of 65 microg of calprotectin/g of intestinal content provided the best assay parameter according to the clinical findings: a 76% sensitivity and a 47% specificity. False positive results corresponded to patients with gastrointestinal infections (13%), systemic infections (13%), ulcers (10%), or nonspecific histological alterations of the mucosa (15%). The other false positive cases corresponded to postsurgical samples (4%), or patients with concomitant gastrointestinal symptoms (2%). Most false negative results (78%) were observed during recovery from severe acute rejection episodes, among successfully treated patients. In these cases, epithelial reconstitution and no mucosal infiltration was observed. If the latter group were discarded, sensitivity rose to 93%, and specificity, to 50% with a 96% negative predictive value. Furthermore, a weak correlation was observed between calprotectin levels and the severity of rejection. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the results obtained by other groups: fecal calprotectin dosage showed a good sensitivity but low specificity for the diagnosis of intestinal rejection because high calprotectin levels can also be observed in other clinical conditions. Nevertheless, it might be used as a first line for continuous evaluation of intestinal transplantation status, like other biochemical parameters that are used in kidney or liver transplantation, before considering the need for a biopsy.

Isospora belli infection after isolated intestinal transplant.

Isospora belli is a protozoan that only affects humans, after ingestion of Isospora's oocysts. Immunocompetent patients usually do not develop the infection. Immunocompromised hosts may have profuse diarrhea with other gastrointestinal symptoms. Treatment is based on trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In 2006 we performed an isolated intestinal transplantation in a patient with ultra-short bowel syndrome. Neither rejection nor clinical problems occurred after transplant, but signs of intestinal inflammation were seen in every protocol biopsy starting at the first month post transplant. Almost 3 months after the procedure, the patient was re-admitted with diarrhea. I. belli infection was diagnosed by detection of the oocysts in stool samples. Antibiotic treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was initiated with excellent outcome and without relapses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of isosporosis in a small bowel recipient.