Portal cavernoma in congenital hepatic fibrosis. Angiographic reports of 10 pediatric cases

Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Primary Prophylaxis of Bleeding in Children With High-Risk Gastroesophageal Varices

OBJECTIVES

Primary prophylaxis of bleeding is debated in children with gastroesophageal varices; one of the reasons is the limited number of studies concerning its efficacy and safety. We report our experience with endoscopic primary prophylaxis.

METHODS

From 2006 to 2019, 145 children (median age, 3.5 years; cirrhosis, n = 116) with high-risk gastroesophageal varices underwent primary prophylaxis (banding, n = 114; sclerotherapy n = 31, primarily in smaller children).

RESULTS

We observed the eradication of varices in 93% of children after a mean of 6 months, at least one recurrence of varices in 45% after eradication, and gastrointestinal bleeding in 17% of children. Irrespective of the cause of portal hypertension, grade 3 esophageal varices, presence of gastric varices along the cardia and a lower composite score of endoscopic severity were associated with a worse probability of eradication, a longer time to eradication and a lower risk of a first recurrence and of bleeding following the procedure, respectively. Ten-year probabilities of overall survival and of bleeding-free survival were 95% and 75%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding is reasonably effective and safe in children with high-risk gastroesophageal varices. Worse results are observed in children with more advanced endoscopic features. This pleads for endoscopic screening in children with portal hypertension and early detection of varices warranting primary prophylaxis.

Paediatric chronic liver diseases: how to investigate and follow up? Role of imaging in the diagnosis of fibrosis

Chronic liver diseases are rare in children, but encompass a wide spectrum of disorders that may all be complicated by liver fibrosis and therefore by portal hypertension. They may be classified according to the level of portal flow obstruction: prehepatic, intrahepatic or suprahepatic. Most of them, except presinusoidal diseases, may progress to cirrhosis that carries additional risks of impaired liver function and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Imaging plays an important role in guiding the diagnosis and biopsy and for follow-up during treatment. US, with high-frequency transducers and Doppler, is the first modality of choice, directs the rest of the investigations and guides interventional radiology. MDCT has made great progress and has replaced angiography for diagnostic purposes. MRI is indicated for parenchyma and nodule characterization and for biliary tract evaluation. To avoid liver biopsy, several elasticity imaging techniques have been developed and have to be evaluated for accuracy and convenience in children. The role of each modality with main imaging findings is described in extrahepatic portal vein obstruction, hepatoportal sclerosis, congenital hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Cavernous transformation of portal vein: 16-slice CT portography and correlation with surgical procedure of orthotopic liver transplantation

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate 16-slice CT portography technique and appearances of cavernous transformation of portal vein (CTPV) and the correlation with surgical procedure of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty-four patients with CTPV underwent triphase scanning using a 16-slice CT scanner. Twenty-one of the 24 patients were OLT candidates. After plain scan, enhanced CT scan was performed. The parameters were as follows: thickness of 2.5 mm, reconstruction interval of 1.3 mm, flow rate of 3-4 mL/s, contrast agent of 100 mL, delayed time of 20, 50, and 70 s, respectively. Imaging reformation, including MIP, VR, and SSD, were performed by one radiologist. Two radiologists assessed the thrombosis location and degree, collateral vessels, and superior mesenteric vein (SMV) or splenic vein (SV). The details of collateral vessels, thrombosis location were graded and recorded. One score was partial thrombosis of the main PV; 2 score, complete thrombosis of the main PV; 3 score, complete thrombosis of the main PV plus thrombosis of proximal SV or SMV, and the normal diameter of remaining veins; 4 score, complete thrombosis of the main PV plus thrombosis of more than a half of SV or SMV, and thin diameter of remaining veins; 5 score, complete nonvisualization of the main PV, one or both of SV and SMV, and thin diameter of remaining veins. Thirteen patients thereafter underwent OLT. Operation record was reviewed case by case.

RESULTS

All cases obtained MIP images, 16 patients got VR images, and five cases had SSD images. These images can display thrombosis location, degree, and collateral vessels. All patients had hepatopetal collateral vessels. Eleven of the 21 OLT candidates had 1 score, two patients 2 score, four patients 3 score, one patient 4 score, and three patients had 5 score. Fourteen of the 21 candidates were performed end-to-end anastomosis between the donor's and recipient's portal veins, in which 11 patients had 1 score, two patients had 2 score, and two patients 3 score. Both patients with 3 score had normal SV; end-to-end anastomoses were performed between the donor portal vein and recipient SV. Two patients are waiting for donors. OLT was canceled or changed in the six patients with 4 score or 5 score. Correlation coefficient between the score of portal vein and surgical decision was 0.813 (P-value less than 0.001, nonparametric correlation).

CONCLUSIONS

Using 16-slice CT portography can noninvasively diagnose CTPV. The appearances of CTPV on the 16-slice CT portography can provide helpful information for surgeons to make an accurate preoperative decision. MIP is the optimal technique for displaying CTPV.

Atrophy-hypertrophy complex in patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein: CT evaluation

PURPOSE

To retrospectively evaluate the morphologic changes in the liver associated with cavernous transformation of the portal vein.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was institutional review board approved. Informed patient consent was not required. The computed tomographic (CT) results for 22 patients (14 male, eight female; mean age, 54 years) with cavernous transformation of the portal vein and no evidence of chronic liver disease at liver biopsy were retrospectively reviewed and compared with the CT results for 36 control subjects. Various morphologic changes in the hepatic lobes were qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by using the Student t test for unpaired data.

RESULTS

Qualitative analysis revealed the atrophy-hypertrophy complex in most (n = 20, 91%) of the patients with cavernous transformation and in no control subjects. Atrophy of the left lateral segment and right liver lobe was seen in 16 (73%) and seven (32%) patients, respectively. Hypertrophy of the caudate lobe and liver segment IV was identified in 19 (86%) and 11 (50%) patients, respectively. All mean caudate lobe volume index values and mean caudate lobe-to-right lobe ratio values were significantly greater (P < .05) in the cavernous transformation group than in the control group. The mean segment IV diameter was significantly greater (41.6 vs 28.1 mm, P < .001) in the patients with cavernous transformation. Hepatic nodules and hepatic contour nodularity were not seen in the patients with cavernous transformation.

CONCLUSION

The atrophy-hypertrophy complex is frequently observed in patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein. Some findings, such as hypertrophy of the caudate lobe, mimic chronic liver disease or signs of portal hypertension, but left lateral segment atrophy and a normal or enlarged segment IV are distinctive findings of cavernous transformation.

Doppler sonographic findings in children with idiopathic portal vein cavernous deformity and variceal hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

To describe the flow patterns in the portal vascular territory in children with portal vein cavernous deformity.

METHODS

The study included 12 children (age 4-10 years) with hematemesis, melena, or both in whom B-mode gray scale sonography revealed small anechoic spaces replacing the site of the portal vein. The portal vein cavernous deformity was present either alone (in 8 patients) or with congenital hepatic fibrosis (in 4). Doppler sonography (color and spectral) was performed to assess the flow in the portal vascular territory, splenic vein, intrasplenic veins, and abdominal collaterals.

RESULTS

Doppler sonography confirmed the venous flow waveform in the cavernous portal vein in all children with normal flow direction in the few intrahepatic portal vein branches and also in the intrahepatic veins. Splenomegaly was present in all. The intrasplenic veins were dilated in all but had normal flow direction except in 2 with spontaneous trans-splenic shunts. Gallbladder varices were shown in 4 patients, and perisplenic collaterals were shown in 3.

CONCLUSIONS

Doppler sonography is a valuable noninvasive imaging technique for assessment of the portal hemodynamic profile in patients with portal vein cavernous deformity, which can affect subsequent treatment decision making. Trans-splenic shunts are uncommon, but this Doppler sonographic report documents such shunts in children with portal hypertension.

Case report: secondary biliary cirrhosis possibly related to congenital hepatic fibrosis. Evidence for decreased number of portal branch veins and hypertrophic peribiliary vascular plexus

A 30-year-old man with presinusoidal portal hypertension was transplanted for cryptogenic cirrhosis. On the explanted liver, few intrahepatic stones, biliary cirrhosis, chronic cholangitis of the large bile ducts and a peculiar proliferation of small dilated bile ducts at the periphery of the portal tracts led to the diagnosis of secondary biliary cirrhosis and cholangitis, possibly linked to ductal plate malformation, including congenital hepatic fibrosis associated with a minor form of Caroli's disease. Ex vivo portogram and histology showed the paucity of portal vein branches and the hypertrophy of the peribiliary vascular plexus. This hypertrophy, which has been reported in livers with presinusoidal hypertension, is another indirect argument to suggest the diagnosis of congenital hepatic fibrosis.