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Background: Small-caliber plastic stents are sometimes placed across the hepaticojejunostomy in liver transplant recipients at the time of biliary reconstruction. These stents usually pass spontaneously, but they can be retained and, rarely, this may cause biliary obstruction., Objective: The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe the appearance of biliary tract obstruction caused by retained surgical stents in pediatric liver transplants, and to report how these stents can be removed using interventional radiology techniques., Materials and Methods: Three pediatric patients presenting with biochemical and imaging evidence of biliary obstruction were encountered over a 6-month period. At percutaneous cholangiography all patients were found to have retained surgical stents which appeared to be causing biliary tract obstruction. Percutaneous snaring of the stents was undertaken., Results: All stents were successfully removed using interventional radiology techniques, and follow-up showed no evidence of recurrent obstruction., Conclusion: Surgical stents in children undergoing hepaticojejunostomy may be retained and cause biliary obstruction. Radiologists involved with imaging these patients should be aware of this potential cause of biliary obstruction. This complication is amenable to interventional radiology techniques with good long-term results. There is no easy endoscopic or surgical treatment option in these patients.

Objective: Biliary strictures occur more frequently after liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) than for other diseases. A hypothesized cause is recurrence of PSC in the liver graft. In our study, we compared cholangiographic features of biliary strictures after transplantation for PSC to those after transplantation for other diseases., Materials and Methods: A study group of 32 PSC grafts in adults with biliary strictures was compared with a control group of 32 non-PSC grafts with strictures. Both groups were matched for the type of biliary anastomosis (choledochojejunostomy) and for the time interval between transplantation and stricture diagnosis. We then performed a blind retrospective review of cholangiograms in these 64 cases to evaluate for features of PSC., Results: Location, number, and length of strictures and ductal dilatation were similar in the PSC and non-PSC groups. Mural irregularities of bile ducts were present in 15 of 32 (47%) PSC grafts compared with four of 32 (13%) in the control group (p=.005). Diverticulum-like outpouchings occurred in six of 32 (19%) PSC graft compared with one of 32 (3%) in the control group. An overall resemblance to PSC was observed in eight of 32 (25%) grafts in the PSC group compared with two of 32 (6%) in the control group., Conclusion: Mural irregularity and diverticulum-like outpouchings--findings suggestive of PSC--and an overall appearance resembling PSC occur more frequently in PSC transplants than in transplants for other diseases. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that PSC may recur in liver transplants.

Objective: The occurrence of biliary strictures or bile duct necrosis in liver transplant recipients with hepatic artery stenosis has been well documented. This study was done to determine the prevalence and cholangiographic appearance of biliary complications in liver transplant recipients with hepatic artery stenosis and to determine if such complications occur with increased frequency compared with transplant recipients with patent hepatic arteries., Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 33 patients (17 male, 16 female; 1-65 years old) with angiographically proven significant hepatic artery stenosis after liver transplantation. All patients had T-tube or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography performed within 4 months of hepatic arteriography. A retrospective review of radiographs was done to determine the prevalence and appearance of biliary complications in the study group compared with a control group of 58 patients with angiographically patent hepatic arteries who had liver transplants during the same period., Results: Biliary complications were significantly more prevalent in patients with hepatic artery stenosis, with 22 (67%) showing cholangiographic abnormal findings compared with 16 (28%) in the control group (p = .001). The most significant abnormalities in patients with arterial stenosis were nonanastomotic biliary strictures seen in 16 (49%), compared with 13 (22%) in the control group (p = .04). Other findings (intraductal filling defects, anastomotic biliary stricture, and anastomotic bile leak) showed no statistically significant difference between the study and control groups., Conclusion: Biliary complications are significantly more prevalent in liver transplant recipients with hepatic artery stenosis. The most common complication seen on cholangiography was nonanastomotic biliary stricture.

Purpose: To evaluate cholangiographic features and prevalence of bile duct leaks in liver transplant recipients and correlate the different types of leaks with clinical outcomes., Materials and Methods: For 6 years, 3,242 cholangiograms were obtained in 1,363 liver allografts in 1,306 patients. All cholangiograms with definite or suspected bile duct leaks, per the radiology reports, were retrospectively reviewed., Results: Leaks were diagnosed in 59 allografts in 59 patients. The prevalence of leaks after liver transplantation, as depicted on cholangiograms, was 4.3% (59 of 1,363 grafts). Sixteen of 21 patients with anastomotic leaks needed 17 surgical repairs, four leaks were surgically drained without repair, and one was treated with percutaneous biliary catheter drainage. Twelve of 21 patients with T-tube exit-site leaks underwent T-tube drainage. Seven underwent surgical repair or drainage, one died, and one underwent retransplantation. Nine of 13 patients with leaks from bile duct necrosis required retransplantation., Conclusion: Bile duct leaks at biliary anastomoses and those resulting from bile duct necrosis have high morbidity, mortality, and graft loss rates and usually require surgical intervention. Most T-tube exit-site leaks heal with conservative treatment.

We retrospectively reviewed the results of real-time sonography in 41 patients in whom biliary complications after liver transplantation were documented by percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. Abnormalities included bile duct stricture (26 cases), occluded internal biliary stent (six cases), common duct redundancy with resultant functional biliary obstruction (three cases), bile leak (three cases), choledocholithiasis (two cases), and an abscess in a cystic duct remnant (one case). Sonography was abnormal in 22 of the 41 cases (sensitivity, 54%). Bile duct dilatation was the positive sonographic finding in 19 (86%) of the 22 abnormal examinations. In the remaining 19 patients, sonography was normal. Sonography is not a reliable test for the early detection of biliary abnormalities after liver transplantation. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography should be performed in patients with suspected biliary complications after liver transplantation.

Evaluation of the biliary tract by percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) is often required in liver transplant patients with an abnormal postoperative course. Indications for PTC include failure of liver enzyme levels to return to normal postoperatively, an elevation of serum bilirubin or liver enzyme levels, suspected bile leak, biliary obstructive symptoms, cholangitis, and sepsis. Over a 5-year period 625 liver transplants in 477 patients were performed at the University Health Center of Pittsburgh. Fifty-three patients (56 transplants) underwent 70 PTCs. Complications diagnosed by PTC included biliary strictures, bile leaks, bilomas, liver abscesses, stones, and problems associated with internal biliary stents. Thirty-two percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage procedures were performed. Ten transplantation patients underwent balloon dilatation of postoperative biliary strictures. Interventional radiologic techniques were important in treating other complications and avoiding additional surgery in many of these patients.

Radiographic assessment of the biliary tract is often essential in patients who have undergone liver transplantation. T- or straight-tube cholangiography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography all may be used. A total of 264 cholangiograms in 79 adult liver transplant patients (96 transplants) was reviewed. Normal radiographic features of biliary reconstructive procedures, including choledochocholedochostomy and choledochojejunostomy, are demonstrated. Complications diagnosed by cholangiography included obstruction, bile leaks, and tube problems, seen in eight, 24, and 12 transplants respectively. Stretching and incomplete filling of intrahepatic biliary ducts were frequently noted and may be associated with rejection and other conditions. Transhepatic biliary drainage, balloon catheter dilatation of strictures, replacement of dislodged T-tubes, and restoring patency of obstructed T-tubes using interventional radiologic techniques were important in avoiding complications and additional surgery in selected patients.

Because the hepatic artery provides the only blood supply to the biliary tree of a liver allograft, posttransplantation arterial occlusion may result in a biliary complication. Cholangiograms were reviewed retrospectively in 31 transplant patients who had proved complete or partial occlusions of the hepatic artery (thrombosis in 29 and marked stenosis in two). Cholangiograms were abnormal in 26 (84%). The most common abnormality, seen in 16 patients, was nonanastomotic contrast leakage from the donor intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts. Strictures of the donor biliary tree occurred in 14 patients, four of whom also had a nonanastomotic bile leak. In 12 of the 14, the strictures were nonanastomotic. Other findings included poor filling of the intrahepatic bile ducts, generalized donor ductal dilatation and irregularity, and intraductal filling defects. Sixteen (89%) of 18 transplants with nonanastomotic contrast leakage had occlusions of the hepatic artery. Of 21 transplants with nonanastomotic strictures, 12 (57%) had occlusions of the hepatic artery. Only two (10%) of 20 transplants with biliary anastomotic strictures had arterial occlusion. We conclude that liver transplant recipients who exhibit nonanastomotic contrast leakage or nonanastomotic strictures on cholangiography should be evaluated for occlusion of the hepatic artery as the probable cause.

We investigated the cholangiographic appearance of intrahepatic bile ducts in 56 liver transplants and correlated the findings with biopsy evidence of acute rejection and other histologic diagnoses. Mild to moderate narrowing, stretching, separation, and poor filling of the bile ducts were common. Narrowing was present in 69 (92%) of 75 studies and was at least moderate in degree in 14 (19%). Duct separation was seen on 39 (58%) of 67 cholangiograms and was usually mild but was more pronounced in 10 (15%). In 22 (25%) of 89 studies, 10 or fewer branch ducts were filled. Cholangiographic abnormalities were more marked in patients with biopsy diagnoses of moderate-severe and partially treated acute rejection than with findings of mild rejection or nonspecific histology. Portal tract cellular infiltration and edema, liver swelling and, possibly, loss of small bile ducts correlated with the radiologic changes. However, the severity of the radiographic changes varied in all histologic categories. Acute rejection contributes to intrahepatic duct narrowing, separation, and poor filling on cholangiography in liver transplants, but the cause of the changes is probably multifactorial. Cholangiography is limited as a test for rejection and other hepatic parenchymal abnormalities in individual patients, but it may provide evidence supporting the need for liver biopsy in the evaluation of hepatic dysfunction after transplantation.