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OBJECTIVES The evaluation of Fontan-associated liver disease is often challenging. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can detect hepatic fibrosis from capillary perfusion and diffusion abnormalities from extracellular matrix accumulation. This study investigated its role in the evaluation of liver disease in Fontan patients and explored possible diagnostic methods for early detection of advanced liver fibrosis. METHODS Stable adult Fontan patients who could safely be examined with magnetic resonance imaging were enrolled, and blood biomarkers, transient elastography were also examined. RESULTS Forty-six patients received diffusion-weighted imaging; and 58.7% were diagnosed with advanced liver fibrosis (severe liver fibrosis, 37.0%, and cirrhosis 21.7%). Two parameters of hepatic dysfunction, platelet counts (Spearman's ρ: –0.456, P  = 0.001) and cholesterol levels (Spearman's ρ: –0.383, P  = 0.009), decreased with increasing severity of fibrosis. Using transient elastography, a cut-off value of 14.2 kPa predicted the presence of advanced liver fibrosis, but with a low positive predictive value. When we included platelet count, cholesterol, post-Fontan years and transient elastography values as a composite, the capability of predicting advanced liver fibrosis was the most satisfactory (C statistic 0.817 ± 0.071, P  < 0.001). A cut-off value of 5.0 revealed a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 82%. CONCLUSIONS In Fontan patients, diffusion-weighted imaging was helpful in detecting liver fibrosis that was correlated with hepatic dysfunction. A simple score was proposed for long-term surveillance and early detection of advanced liver disease in adult Fontan patients. For adult Fontan patients with a calculated score > 5.0, we may consider timely diffusion-weight imaging and early management for liver complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sarcopenia is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Image-based sarcopenia assessment allows a standardized method to assess abdominal skeletal muscle. However, which is an index muscle for sarcopenia remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether sarcopenia defined according to different muscle groups with computed tomography (CT) scans can predict the prognosis of HCC after radioembolization. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed patients who underwent radioembolization for unresectable HCC between January 2010 and December 2019. Before treatment, the total abdominal muscle (TAM), psoas muscle (PM), and paraspinal muscle (PS) areas were evaluated using a single CT slice at the third lumbar vertebra. In previous studies, sarcopenia was determined using the TAM, PM, and PS after stratifying by sex. Finally, we investigated each muscle-defined sarcopenia to decide whether or not it can serve as a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). Results: We included 92 patients (74 men and 18 women). TAM, PM, and PS areas were significantly higher in the men than in the women (all p < 0.05). The patients with sarcopenia defined using PM, but not TAM and PS, exhibited significantly poorer OS than those without sarcopenia (median 15.3 vs. 23.8 months, p = 0.034, 0.821, and 0.341, respectively). After adjustment for clinical variables, such as body mass index, liver function, alpha-fetoprotein level, clinical staging, treatment response, and posttreatment curative therapy, PM-defined sarcopenia (hazard ratio: 1.899, 95% confidence interval: 1.087–3.315) remained an independent predictor for the poor OS. Conclusion: CT-assessed sarcopenia defined using PM was an independent prognostic factor for the poorer prognosis of unresectable HCC after radioembolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Individuals with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) can present with vascular abnormalities, including intracranial aneurysms. However, whether ADPKD is associated with cerebral small-vessel disease, such as cerebral microbleeds (CM), remains unclear. The study analyzes the prevalence of CM and the associated clinical and radiological factors in patients with ADPKD., Methods: The retrospective study enrolled 140 consecutive patients with ADPKD from July 2014 to May 2023. Brain MRIs were analyzed for the presence of CM with susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), which were categorized based on lesion location (lobar, deep, or infratentorial)., Result: In this study, the prevalence of CM is 26.4%. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage (odds ratio [OR]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.88, p = 0.027) and leukoaraiosis grade (OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.43-7.56, p = 0.005) were strongly associated with CM. Additionally, both CKD stage (OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.06-2.07, p = 0.023) and leukoaraiosis grade (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.30-6.05, p = 0.008) were associated with lobar microbleeds, whereas only leukoaraiosis grade was also related to deep (OR: 9.00, 95% CI: 3.06-26.44, p < 0.001) and infratentorial (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.10-5.61, p = 0.029) microbleeds. The prediction model based on age, CKD stage and leukoaraiosis grade had diagnostic performance with area under curve: 0.804, 0.688, 0.697, respectively., Conclusion: We recommend that patients with ADPKD who are aged 58 or older, and who have CKD of at least stage 3, undergo brain MRI for detection of CM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Preoperative imaging evaluation of liver volume and hepatic steatosis for the donor affects transplantation outcomes. However, computed tomography (CT) for liver volumetry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for hepatic steatosis are time consuming. Therefore, we investigated the correlation of automated 3D-multi-echo-Dixon sequence magnetic resonance imaging (ME-Dixon MRI) and its derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) with CT liver volumetry and MRS hepatic steatosis measurements in living liver donors., Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2017 to November 2022. We enrolled donors who received a dynamic CT scan and an MRI exam within 2 days. First, the CT volumetry was processed semiautomatically using commercial software, and ME-Dixon MRI volumetry was automatically measured using an embedded sequence. Next, the signal intensity of MRI-PDFF volumetric data was correlated with MRS as the gold standard., Results: We included the 165 living donors. The total liver volume of ME-Dixon MRI was significantly correlated with CT (r = 0.913, p < 0.001). The fat percentage measured using MRI-PDFF revealed a strong correlation between automatic segmental volume and MRS (r = 0.705, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the hepatic steatosis group (MRS ≥5%) had a strong correlation than the non-hepatic steatosis group (MRS <5%) in both volumetric (r = 0.906 vs. r = 0.887) and fat fraction analysis (r = 0.779 vs. r = 0.338)., Conclusion: Automated ME-Dixon MRI liver volumetry and MRI-PDFF were strongly correlated with CT liver volumetry and MRS hepatic steatosis measurements, especially in donors with hepatic steatosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The Authors declare no potential financial or nonfinancial conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Taiwan. The Taiwan Liver Cancer Association and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan developed and updated the guidelines for HCC management in 2020. In clinical practice, we follow these guidelines and the reimbursement policy of the government. In Taiwan, abdominal ultrasonography, alpha-fetoprotein, and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) tests are performed for HCC surveillance every 6 months or every 3 months for high-risk patients. Dynamic computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound have been recommended for HCC surveillance in extremely high-risk patients or those with poor ultrasonographic visualization results. HCC is usually diagnosed through dynamic imaging, and pathological diagnosis is recommended. Staging of HCC is based on a modified version of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system, and the HCC management guidelines in Taiwan actively promote curative treatments including surgery and locoregional therapy for BCLC stage B or C patients. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), drug-eluting bead TACE, transarterial radioembolization, and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy may be administered for patients with BCLC stage B or C HCC. Sorafenib and lenvatinib are reimbursed as systemic therapies, and regorafenib and ramucirumab may be reimbursed in cases of sorafenib failure. First-line atezolizumab with bevacizumab is not yet reimbursed but may be administered in clinical practice. Systemic therapy and external beam radiation therapy may be used in specific patients. Early switching to systemic therapy in TACE-refractory patients is a recent paradigm shift in HCC management.

The current standard care for acute mesenteric ischemia (AMEI) involves urgent revascularization and resection of the necrotic bowel. Since 2012, we have used an AMEI protocol of our own design, which focused on early treatment and allowed interventional cardiologists to become involved when interventional radiologist was not available. A total of 8 patients were treated, and two interventional cardiologists performed all the stenting procedures. The procedure success rate was 100% in patients with non-calcified lesions (6/8). The 30-day survival rate was 100% in patients with angiographic success, and was 0% in patients with failed procedure. In two patients with total occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, laparotomy was avoided when interventions were successful and completed within six hours of protocol activation. Four surviving patients were discharged after short intensive care unit stays (less than 48 hours); these patients returned to and remained at home throughout their 90-day follow-up. The overall procedure success rate and 30-day survival rate were both 75%. There was no access site or intervention-related complications. Using our protocol, we believe that primary endovascular treatment for AMEI is feasible. In geographic regions where healthcare resources are lacking, a time-efficient strategy adopted by interventional cardiologists should be considered for the purpose of saving lives and possibly even avoiding open laparotomy.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is usually diagnosed at advanced stage. Our aim was to investigate the risk of malignant and premalignant pancreatic lesions in individuals with family history of PC. Individuals at risk of PC were enrolled prospectively in a screening program in Taiwan. All risk individuals received genetic testing of cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) gene and the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene. They were stratified into three risk groups (high, moderate, and low) based on the family history and genetic testing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram (MRCP) were performed in all screened individuals. A total of three hundred and three risk individuals in 165 families were enrolled with the mean age of 51.1 years, 38.3% of whom were male. A total of 24 of 303 (7.9%) screened individuals had the PRSS1 mutation, and 7/234 (0.3%) had the SPINK1 mutation. Nineteen (6.3%) risk individuals had pancreatic pathology including seven with pancreatic cancer, and four with pancreatic mucinous neoplasms. The earliest age of onset of PC in affected members was an independent factor associated with risk of developing PC in all risk groups. DM was associated with much-increased risk of developing PC in low and moderate risk groups (OR45.8. 95% CI. 13.82-151.64, P=0.001). Combined family history of non-PC malignancy in the family in the low-risk individual was associated with abnormal findings on MRI (OR8.4, 95% CI 3.29-21.88, P < 0.0001). There was no any complication of screening. In summary, pancreatic cancer screening may benefit in risk individuals with family history of pancreatic cancer in our population. The diagnostic yield is similar to prior studies. MRCP as initial screening modality is safe and effective. Future study will be needed to tailor PC screening strategy in different risk populations.