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Value of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating the pancreatic allograft transplant complications

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Abstract

Purpose

To retrospectively investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting complications following pancreas transplant.

Materials and methods

Institutional review board approved this retrospective HIPAA-compliant study and waived informed patient consent. We identified all allograft pancreas transplant patients at our institution from 2001 to January 2014 who had all pertinent post-transplant imaging and clinical data available. Transplant type was documented. Patients were divided into two groups according to post-transplant period (group A; <12 months, group B; ≥12 months). We evaluated the parenchymal enhancement using contrast-enhanced MRI of the allograft and determined the mean percentage of parenchymal enhancement (MPPE) overall and in various abnormalities, the vessel patency, any peripancreatic fluid collection, and the ductal anatomy. We correlated these with clinical results using t test, χ 2, and Fisher’s exact test; p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

51 patients (34 male, mean age 43.7 years) were identified, 28 (55%) of whom had abnormal imaging findings; transplant rejection-related necrosis (n = 7), fluid collections (n = 7), vascular stenosis (n = 4), isolated venous thromboses (n = 3), acute pancreatitis (n = 3), pancreatic and peripancreatic abscesses (n = 2), pseudoaneurysm (n = 1), and small-bowel obstruction (n = 1). Pre vs. post-contrast pancreatic MPPE at 1 min was 120% in the normal allografts and 115% in the allografts with pancreatitis and without necrosis (p > 0.05). MPPE at 1 min was only 9% in the allografts rejections with necrosis/infarction. More complications were found in group A than group B (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Contrast-enhanced MRI is useful for the non-invasive assessment of pancreas transplant complications.

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Disclosures

This project was performed at Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China

    Yubao Liu & Changhong Liang

  2. Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 N. University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Fatih Akisik, Temel Tirkes, Mark Tann, Kumaresan Sandrasegaran, S. Gregory Jennings, Chen Lin & Bharat Kakarala

  3. Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 N. University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Jonathan A. Fridell & John A. Powelson

Authors
  1. Yubao Liu
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  2. Fatih Akisik
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  3. Temel Tirkes
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  4. Mark Tann
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  5. Kumaresan Sandrasegaran
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  7. Chen Lin
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  8. Bharat Kakarala
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  9. Jonathan A. Fridell
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  11. Changhong Liang
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Correspondence to Fatih Akisik.

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Liu, Y., Akisik, F., Tirkes, T. et al. Value of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating the pancreatic allograft transplant complications. Abdom Imaging 40, 2384–2390 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-015-0408-x

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