Polycystic liver disease: a critical appraisal of hepatic resection, cyst fenestration, and liver transplantation. Ann Surg. 2009;250:112-118. [PMID: 19561475 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0b013e3181ad83dc]

Symptomatic polycystic liver disease: a rare indication of hepatectomy

We present the case of forty-four-year-old woman with autosomal dominant Polycystic liver disease (PLD) without kidney disease diagnosed for 18 years ago. She experienced progressive abdominal distension and malnutrition over the previous twelve months. The patient had no other comorbidities. Physical examination revealed an 8 cm hepatomegaly in the right hypochondrium region. Liver function analysis was normal. CT scan showed multiple liver cysts with smooth and regular walls, predominantly in the right lobe which was considered as type III according to Gigot´s classification. Due to the significant hepatomegaly, conventional surgery was performed. Exploration showed multiple cysts of varying sizes on the liver surface, with diffuse involvement of the right hemiliver. Standard right lobe mobilization was technically not possible. Fenestration was performed in dominant superficial cysts, to allow access to the deeper cysts and liver parenchyma. A right hepatectomy was carried up using ultrasound devices and ultrasonic aspirator. And the biggest cysts located in the surface of left hepatic lobe were surgically unroofed. No surgical complications occurred, and the patient was discharged 5 days after the intervention.

Genetic Analysis of Severe Polycystic Liver Disease in Japan

Key Points

Among patients with severe polycystic liver disease (PLD) (height-adjusted total liver volume of <1800 ml/m), PKD2 variants were found in 34%. Three patients with PKD1 or PKD2 variants are reported with severe PLD but normal-sized kidneys (hTKV of < 250 ml/m).

Background

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is present in most patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). PLD can alternatively be found with few, if any, kidney cysts as a diagnosis of isolated PLD (autosomal dominant PLD [ADPLD]). Several genes are identified as causative for this spectrum of phenotypes; however, the relative incidence of genetic etiologies among patients with severe PLD is unknown.

Methods

Patients with ADPKD or ADPLD having severe PLD defined as height-adjusted total liver volume (hTLV) >1800 ml/m were recruited. Subsequent clinical care was followed. Genetic analysis was performed using whole exome sequencing.

Results

We enrolled and sequenced 49 patients (38 women, 11 men). Pathogenic or suspected pathogenic variants in polycystic disease genes were found in 44 of 49 patients (90%). The disease gene was PKD1 in 20 of 44 patients (45%), PKD2 in 15 of 44 patients (34%), PRKCSH in 5 of 44 patients (11%), GANAB in 2 of 44 patients (5%), SEC63 in 1 of 44 patients (2%), and ALG8 in 1 of 44 patients (2%). The median hTLV was no different between genetically defined ADPKD and ADPLD groups (4431 [range, 1817–9148] versus 3437 [range, 1860–8211]) ml, P = 0.77), whereas height-adjusted kidney volume was larger as expected in ADPKD than in ADPLD (607 [range, 190–2842] versus 179 [range, 138–234] ml/m, P < 0.01). Of the clinically defined ADPKD patients, 20 of 38 patients (53%) were PKD1 , 15 of 38 (39%) were PKD2 , and 3 (8%) remained genetically unsolved. Among patients with a pathogenic PKD1 or PKD2 variant, we found three patients with a liver-dominant ADPKD (severe PLD with height-adjusted total kidney volume <250 ml/m).

Conclusions

ADPLD-related genes represent 20% of patients with severe PLD in our cohort. Of those enrolled with ADPKD, we observed a higher frequency of PKD2 carriers than in any previously reported ADPKD cohorts. Although there was no significant difference in the hTLV between patients with PKD1 and PKD2 in this cohort, our data suggest that enrollment on the basis of severe PLD may enrich for patients with PKD2 .

ACG Clinical Guideline: Focal Liver Lesions

Focal liver lesions (FLLs) have become an increasingly common finding on abdominal imaging, especially asymptomatic and incidental liver lesions. Gastroenterologists and hepatologists often see these patients in consultation and make recommendations for management of multiple types of liver lesions, including hepatocellular adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia, hemangioma, and hepatic cystic lesions including polycystic liver disease. Malignancy is important to consider in the differential diagnosis of FLLs, and healthcare providers must be familiar with the diagnosis and management of FLLs. This American College of Gastroenterology practice guideline uses the best evidence available to make diagnosis and management recommendations for the most common FLLs.

Exception Policy Change Increased the Simultaneous Kidney-Liver Transplant Probability of Polycystic Disease in the Centers With High Median MELD at Transplantation

BACKGROUND

In 2019, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing changed the exception policy for liver allocation to the median model for end-stage liver disease at transplantation (MMaT). This study evaluated the effects of this change on-waitlist outcomes of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLKT) for patients with polycystic liver-kidney disease (PLKD).

METHODS

Using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing registry, 317 patients with PLKD listed for SLKT between January 2016 and December 2021 were evaluated. Waitlist outcomes were compared between prepolicy (Era 1) and postpolicy (Era 2) eras.

RESULTS

One-year transplant probability was significantly higher in Era 2 than in Era 1 (55.7% versus 37.9%; P  = 0.001), and the positive effect on transplant probability of Era 2 was significant after risk adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.54; P  = 0.002 [ref. Era 1]), whereas waitlist mortality was comparable. Transplant centers were separated into the high and low MMaT groups with a score of 29 (median MMaT) and transplant probability in each group between eras was compared. In the high MMaT transplant centers, the 1-y transplant probability was significantly higher in Era 2 (27.5% versus 52.4%; P  = 0.003). The positive effect remained significant in the high MMaT center group (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-5.46; P  = 0.003 [ref. Era 1]) but not in the low MMaT center group. Although there was a difference between center groups in Era 1 ( P  = 0.006), it became comparable in Era 2 ( P  = 0.54).

CONCLUSIONS

The new policy increased 1-y SLKT probability in patients with PKLD and successfully reduced the disparities based on center location.

Imaging features and management of focal liver lesions

Notably, the number of incidentally detected focal liver lesions (FLLs) has increased dramatically in recent years due to the increased use of radiological imaging. The diagnosis of FLLs can be made through a well-documented medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and appropriate imaging methods. Although benign FLLs are more common than malignant ones in adults, even in patients with primary malignancy, accurate diagnosis of incidental FLLs is of utmost clinical significance. In clinical practice, FLLs are frequently evaluated non-invasively using ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although US is a cost-effective and widely used imaging method, its diagnostic specificity and sensitivity for FLL characterization are limited. FLLs are primarily characterized by obtaining enhancement patterns through dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and MRI. MRI is a problem-solving method with high specificity and sensitivity, commonly used for the evaluation of FLLs that cannot be characterized by US or CT. Recent technical advancements in MRI, along with the use of hepatobiliary-specific MRI contrast agents, have significantly improved the success of FLL characterization and reduced unnecessary biopsies. The American College of Radiology (ACR) appropriateness criteria are evidence-based recommendations intended to assist clinicians in selecting the optimal imaging or treatment option for their patients. ACR Appropriateness Criteria Liver Lesion-Initial Characterization guideline provides recommendations for the imaging methods that should be used for the characterization of incidentally detected FLLs in various clinical scenarios. The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Clinical Guideline offers evidence-based recommendations for both the diagnosis and management of FLL. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Practice Guidance provides an approach to the diagnosis and management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In this article, FLLs are reviewed with a comprehensive analysis of ACR Appropriateness Criteria, ACG Clinical Guideline, AASLD Practice Guidance, and current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals. The article includes a discussion of imaging methods used for the assessment of FLL, current recommended imaging techniques, innovations in liver imaging, contrast agents, imaging features of common nonmetastatic benign and malignant FLL, as well as current management recommendations.

A Primer for Utilizing Deep Learning and Abdominal MRI Imaging Features to Monitor Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Progression

Abdominal imaging of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) has historically focused on detecting complications such as cyst rupture, cyst infection, obstructing renal calculi, and pyelonephritis; discriminating complex cysts from renal cell carcinoma; and identifying sources of abdominal pain. Many imaging features of ADPKD are incompletely evaluated or not deemed to be clinically significant, and because of this, treatment options are limited. However, total kidney volume (TKV) measurement has become important for assessing the risk of disease progression (i.e., Mayo Imaging Classification) and predicting tolvaptan treatment's efficacy. Deep learning for segmenting the kidneys has improved these measurements' speed, accuracy, and reproducibility. Deep learning models can also segment other organs and tissues, extracting additional biomarkers to characterize the extent to which extrarenal manifestations complicate ADPKD. In this concept paper, we demonstrate how deep learning may be applied to measure the TKV and how it can be extended to measure additional features of this disease.

Sex, Genotype, and Liver Volume Progression as Risk of Hospitalization Determinants in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Liver Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease is a rare condition with a female preponderance, based mainly on pathogenic variants in 2 genes, PRKCSH and SEC63. Clinically, autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease is characterized by vast heterogeneity, ranging from asymptomatic to highly symptomatic hepatomegaly. To date, little is known about the prediction of disease progression at early stages, hindering clinical management, genetic counseling, and the design of randomized controlled trials. To improve disease prognostication, we built a consortium of European and US centers to recruit the largest cohort of patients with PRKCSH and SEC63 liver disease.

METHODS

We analyzed an international multicenter cohort of 265 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease harboring pathogenic variants in PRKCSH or SEC63 for genotype-phenotype correlations, including normalized age-adjusted total liver volumes and polycystic liver disease-related hospitalization (liver event) as primary clinical end points.

RESULTS

Classifying individual total liver volumes into predefined progression groups yielded predictive risk discrimination for future liver events independent of sex and underlying genetic defects. In addition, disease severity, defined by age at first liver event, was considerably more pronounced in female patients and patients with PRKCSH variants than in those with SEC63 variants. A newly developed sex-gene score was effective in distinguishing mild, moderate, and severe disease, in addition to imaging-based prognostication.

CONCLUSIONS

Both imaging and clinical genetic scoring have the potential to inform patients about the risk of developing symptomatic disease throughout their lives. The combination of female sex, germline PRKCSH alteration, and rapid total liver volume progression is associated with the greatest odds of polycystic liver disease-related hospitalization.

Clinical manifestation, epidemiology, genetic basis, potential molecular targets, and current treatment of polycystic liver disease

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a rare condition observed in three genetic diseases, including autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD), autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). PLD usually does not impair liver function, and advanced PLD becomes symptomatic when the enlarged liver compresses adjacent organs or increases intra-abdominal pressure. Currently, the diagnosis of PLD is mainly based on imaging, and genetic testing is not required except for complex cases. Besides, genetic testing may help predict patients' prognosis, classify patients for genetic intervention, and conduct early treatment. Although the underlying genetic causes and mechanisms are not fully understood, previous studies refer to primary ciliopathy or impaired ciliogenesis as the main culprit. Primarily, PLD occurs due to defective ciliogenesis and ineffective endoplasmic reticulum quality control. Specifically, loss of function mutations of genes that are directly involved in ciliogenesis, such as Pkd1, Pkd2, Pkhd1, and Dzip1l, can lead to both hepatic and renal cystogenesis in ADPKD and ARPKD. In addition, loss of function mutations of genes that are involved in endoplasmic reticulum quality control and protein folding, trafficking, and maturation, such as PRKCSH, Sec63, ALG8, ALG9, GANAB, and SEC61B, can impair the production and function of polycystin1 (PC1) and polycystin 2 (PC2) or facilitate their degradation and indirectly promote isolated hepatic cystogenesis or concurrent hepatic and renal cystogenesis. Recently, it was shown that mutations of LRP5, which impairs canonical Wnt signaling, can lead to hepatic cystogenesis. PLD is currently treated by somatostatin analogs, percutaneous intervention, surgical fenestration, resection, and liver transplantation. In addition, based on the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways, several investigational treatments have been used in preclinical studies, some of which have shown promising results. This review discusses the clinical manifestation, complications, prevalence, genetic basis, and treatment of PLD and explains the investigational methods of treatment and future research direction, which can be beneficial for researchers and clinicians interested in PLD.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Extrarenal Involvement

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disorder, but kidneys are not the only organs involved in this systemic disorder. Individuals with the condition may display additional manifestations beyond the renal system, involving the liver, pancreas, and brain in the context of cystic manifestations, while involving the vascular system, gastrointestinal tract, bones, and cardiac valves in the context of non-cystic manifestations. Despite kidney involvement remaining the main feature of the disease, thanks to longer survival, early diagnosis, and better management of kidney-related problems, a new wave of complications must be faced by clinicians who treated patients with ADPKD. Involvement of the liver represents the most prevalent extrarenal manifestation and has growing importance in the symptom burden and quality of life. Vascular abnormalities are a key factor for patients' life expectancy and there is still debate whether to screen or not to screen all patients. Arterial hypertension is often the earliest onset symptom among ADPKD patients, leading to frequent cardiovascular complications. Although cardiac valvular abnormalities are a frequent complication, they rarely lead to relevant problems in the clinical history of polycystic patients. One of the newest relevant aspects concerns bone disorders that can exert a considerable influence on the clinical course of these patients. This review aims to provide the "state of the art" among the extrarenal manifestation of ADPKD.

Beyond Loss of Kidney Function: Patient Care in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease benefit from specialized care over their lifetimes, starting with diagnosis of the condition with ongoing discussion of both the renal course and extra-renal issues. Both renal and extra-renal issues may continue to cause major morbidity even after successful kidney transplant or initiation of RRT, and extra-renal disease aspects should always be considered as part of routine management. In this review, we will focus on updates in pain/depression screening, cardiac manifestations, liver and pancreatic cysts, kidney stone management, and genetic counseling. In some instances, we have shared our current clinical practice rather than an evidence-based guideline. We anticipate more standardization of care after the release of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines for management in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease later this year.

Operative Outcomes for Polycystic Liver Disease: Results of a Large Contemporary Series

INTRODUCTION

Persistent symptoms of pain, early satiety, dyspnea, and gastrointestinal reflux due to significant liver enlargement are indications for surgical debulking in patients with polycystic liver disease (PCLD) due to the lack of effective medical therapies; however, few data exist on outcomes of surgical intervention for PCLD.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent operative intervention due to persistent symptoms secondary to PCLD. Preoperative patient characteristics, 30-day postoperative outcomes, and long-term postoperative outcomes, including complications and symptom resolution, were analyzed.

RESULTS

We identified 50 patients who underwent hepatic resection for symptomatic PCLD. Nine patients (19%) had concomitant polycystic kidney disease, and 14 (28%) had previously undergone interventions for PCLD management. The overall complication rate was 30%, with 8 patients (16%) experiencing Clavien-Dindo Grade III-V complications and no mortalities. The median relative reduction in liver volume was 41%. At a median follow-up of 2 years, 94% has sustained symptom resolution.

CONCLUSIONS

This is among the largest case series exploring PCLD operative outcomes, revealing that surgical intervention for debulking for advanced PCLD is safe and effective for symptom management. Furthermore, patients with PCLD undergoing hepatectomy tolerate significant liver volume loss without evidence of impaired hepatic function.

Extrarenal Manifestations: Polycystic Liver Disease and Its Complications

The liver is the commonest site of involvement outside of the kidney in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Most individuals with polycystic liver disease are asymptomatic and require no therapeutic interventions, but a small number of affected individuals who experience symptomatic polycystic liver disease develop medical complications as a result of massive enlargement of cyst number and size and hepatic parenchyma and its subsequent associated complications. This can lead to deterioration in overall health and quality of life, increasing morbidity and mortality. In this review, we will touch upon disease pathogenesis, prevalence, and complications and discuss recent advances in surgical and medical management.

Issues in multi-organ transplantation of the liver with kidney or heart in polycystic liver-kidney disease or congenital heart disease: Current practices and immunological aspects

Solid organ transplantation has become an integral part of the management of patients with end-stage diseases of the kidney, liver, heart and lungs. Most procedures occur in isolation, but multi-organ transplantation of the liver with either the kidney or heart has become an option. As more patients with congenital heart disease and cardiac cirrhosis survive into adulthood, particularly after the Fontan procedure, liver transplant teams are expected to face questions regarding multi-organ (heart-liver) transplantation. Similarly, patients with polycystic kidneys and livers may be managed by multi-organ transplantation. Herein, we review the indications and outcomes of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation for polycystic liver-kidney disease, and discuss the indications, timing and procedural aspects of combined heart-liver transplantation. We also summarise the evidence for, and potential mechanisms underlying, the immunoprotective impact of liver allografts on the simultaneously transplanted organs.

Treatment of Polycystic Liver Disease: Impact on Patient-reported Symptom Severity and Health-related Quality of Life

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a genetic disorder in which patients suffer from progressive development of multiple (>10) hepatic cysts. Most patients remain asymptomatic during the course of their disease. However, a minority of PLD patients suffer from symptoms caused by hepatomegaly leading to serious limitations in daily life. Untreated symptomatic PLD patients score significantly worse on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to age and gender-matched populations. Currently, liver transplantation is the only curative treatment for PLD. The main goal of other available therapies is to strive for symptomatic relief and improvement of HRQoL by suppressing disease progression. In this review, we summarize the effect of PLD treatment on patient-reported outcome measures with a distinction between HRQoL and symptom severity. At present there is heterogeneity in application of questionnaires and no questionnaire is available that measures both HRQoL and PLD symptom severity. Therefore, we recommend the combination of a validated PLD-specific symptom severity questionnaire and a general HRQoL questionnaire to evaluate treatment success as a minimal core set. However, the specific choice of questionnaires depends on treatment choice and/or research question. These questionnaires may serve as a biomarker of treatment response, failure, and adverse events.

The Safety and Efficacy of Hepatic Transarterial Embolization Using Microspheres and Microcoils in Patients with Symptomatic Polycystic Liver Disease

Purpose: We investigated the long-term safety and efficacy of hepatic transarterial embolization (TAE) in patients with symptomatic polycystic liver disease (PLD). Materials and Methods: A total of 26 patients were included, mean age of 52.3 years (range: 33−78 years), undergoing 32 TAE procedures between January 2012 and December 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Distal embolization of the segmental hepatic artery was performed with 300−500 µm embolic microspheres associated with proximal embolization using microcoils. The primary endpoint was clinical efficacy, defined by an improvement in health-related quality of life using a modified Short Form-36 Health Survey and improvement in symptoms (digestive or respiratory symptoms and chronic abdominal pain), without invasive therapy during the follow-up period. Secondary endpoints were a decrease in total liver volume and treated liver volume and complications. Results: Hepatic embolization was performed successfully in 30 of 32 procedures with no major adverse events. Clinical efficacy was 73% (19/26). The mean reduction in hepatic volume was −12.6% at 3 months and −27.8% at the last follow-up 51 ± 15.2 months after TAE (range: 30−81 months; both ps < 0.01). The mean visual analog scale pain score was 5.4 ± 2.8 before TAE and decreased to 2.7 ± 1.9 after treatment. Three patients had minor adverse events, and one patient had an adverse event of moderate severity. Conclusion: Hepatic embolization using microspheres and microcoils is a safe and effective treatment for PLD that improves symptoms and reduces the volume of hepatic cysts.

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of cystic liver diseases

The advent of enhanced radiological imaging techniques has facilitated the diagnosis of cystic liver lesions. Concomitantly, the evidence base supporting the management of these diseases has matured over the last decades. As a result, comprehensive clinical guidance on the subject matter is warranted. These Clinical Practice Guidelines cover the diagnosis and management of hepatic cysts, mucinous cystic neoplasms of the liver, biliary hamartomas, polycystic liver disease, Caroli disease, Caroli syndrome, biliary hamartomas and peribiliary cysts. On the basis of in-depth review of the relevant literature we provide recommendations to navigate clinical dilemmas followed by supporting text. The recommendations are graded according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system and categorised as 'weak' or 'strong'. We aim to provide the best available evidence to aid the clinical decision-making process in the management of patients with cystic liver disease.

Polycystic Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a clinical condition characterized by the presence of more than 10 cysts in the liver. It is a rare disease Of genetic etiology that presents as an isolated disease or assoc\iated with polycystic kidney disease. Ductal plate malformation, ciliary dysfunction, and changes in cell signaling are the main factors involved in its pathogenesis. Most patients with PLD are asymptomatic, but in 2-5% of cases the disease has disabling symptoms and a significant reduction in quality of life. The diagnosis is based on family history of hepatic and/or renal polycystic disease, clinical manifestations, patient age, and polycystic liver phenotype shown on imaging examinations. PLD treatment has evolved considerably in the last decades. Somatostatin analogues hold promise in controlling disease progression, but liver transplantation remains a unique curative treatment modality.

Evidence of nonsurgical treatment for polycystic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Polycystic liver disease (PCLD) is the most common extrarenal manifestation of polycystic kidney disease. There is an urgent need to assess the efficacy and safety of nonsurgical modalities to relieve symptoms and decrease the severity of PCLD. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the nonsurgical treatment of PCLD and the quality of life of affected patients.

METHODS

PubMed, Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies on the nonsurgical modalities, either medications or radiological intervention to manage PCLD. Treatment efficacy, adverse events (AEs), and patient quality of life were evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, 27 studies involving 1037 patients were selected. After nonsurgical treatment, liver volume decreased by 259 ml/m [mean change (Δ) of 6.22%] and the effect was higher in the radiological intervention group [-1617 ml/m (-15.49%)] than in the medication group [-151 ml/m (-3.78%)]. The AEs and serious AEs rates after overall nonsurgical treatment were 0.50 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33-0.67] and 0.04 (95% CI: 0.01-0.07), respectively. The results of the SF-36 questionnaire showed that PCLD treatment improved physical function [physical component summary score of 4.18 (95% CI: 1.54-6.83)] but did not significantly improve mental function [mental component summary score of 0.91 (95% CI: -1.20 to 3.03)].

CONCLUSION

Nonsurgical treatment was effective and safe for PCLD, but did not improve the quality of life in terms of mental health. Radiological intervention directly reduces hepatic cysts, and thus they should be considered for immediate symptom relief in patients with severe symptoms, whereas medication might be considered for maintenance treatment.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) CRD42021279597.

Deep Learning Automation of Kidney, Liver, and Spleen Segmentation for Organ Volume Measurements in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Organ volume measurements are a key metric for managing ADPKD (the most common inherited renal disease). However, measuring organ volumes is tedious and involves manually contouring organ outlines on multiple cross-sectional MRI or CT images. The automation of kidney contouring using deep learning has been proposed, as it has small errors compared to manual contouring. Here, a deployed open-source deep learning ADPKD kidney segmentation pipeline is extended to also measure liver and spleen volumes, which are also important. This 2D U-net deep learning approach was developed with radiologist labeled T2-weighted images from 215 ADPKD subjects (70% training = 151, 30% validation = 64). Additional ADPKD subjects were utilized for prospective (n = 30) and external (n = 30) validations for a total of 275 subjects. Image cropping previously optimized for kidneys was included in training but removed for the validation and inference to accommodate the liver which is closer to the image border. An effective algorithm was developed to adjudicate overlap voxels that are labeled as more than one organ. Left kidney, right kidney, liver and spleen labels had average errors of 3%, 7%, 3%, and 1%, respectively, on external validation and 5%, 6%, 5%, and 1% on prospective validation. Dice scores also showed that the deep learning model was close to the radiologist contouring, measuring 0.98, 0.96, 0.97 and 0.96 on external validation and 0.96, 0.96, 0.96 and 0.95 on prospective validation for left kidney, right kidney, liver and spleen, respectively. The time required for manual correction of deep learning segmentation errors was only 19:17 min compared to 33:04 min for manual segmentations, a 42% time saving (p = 0.004). Standard deviation of model assisted segmentations was reduced to 7, 5, 11, 5 mL for right kidney, left kidney, liver and spleen respectively from 14, 10, 55 and 14 mL for manual segmentations. Thus, deep learning reduces the radiologist time required to perform multiorgan segmentations in ADPKD and reduces measurement variability.

Imaging of fibropolycystic liver disease

Fibropolycystic liver diseases (FLDs) make up a rare spectrum of heritable hepatobiliary diseases resulting from congenital ductal plate malformations (DPMs) due to the dysfunction of proteins expressed on the primary cilia of cholangiocytes. The embryonic development of the ductal plate is key to understanding this spectrum of diseases. In particular, DPMs can result in various degrees of intrahepatic duct involvement and a wide spectrum of cholangiopathies, including congenital hepatic fibrosis, Caroli disease, polycystic liver disease, and Von Meyenberg complexes. The most common clinical manifestations of FLDs are portal hypertension, cholestasis, cholangitis, and (in rare cases) cholangiocarcinoma. This article reviews recent updates in the pathophysiology, imaging, and clinical management of FLDs.

Polycystic Kidney/Liver Disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic disorder that leads to chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Polycystic liver disease (PCLD) is the most common extrarenal manifestation of ADPKD. Though isolated PCLD and PCLD due to ADPKD are genetically distinct, they follow a similar clinical course of hepatomegaly from multiple cysts with preserved liver function. Tolvaptan use in ADPKD can slow down the deterioration of renal function and growth of cysts. Somatostatin analogs can slow the growth of polycystic livers but the effect is short-lived. The only curative therapy for PCLD is liver transplantation. Renal transplantation can significantly improve survival in patients with ESKD due to ADPKD.

Massive Polycystic Liver with a Poor Performance Status Successfully Treated by ABO-incompatible Adult Living-donor Liver Transplantation While Overcoming Complications

We encountered a 47-year-old woman with polycystic liver disease (PLD) and severe malnutrition successfully treated by living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Her PLD became symptomatic with abdominal distension and appetite loss. Transcatheter arterial embolization and percutaneous cyst drainage failed to improve her symptoms. ABO-incompatible LDLT from her husband was performed after rituximab administration and mycophenolate mofetil introduction. Although she showed severe postoperative complications, she ultimately regained the ability to walk and was discharged. Because advanced PLD cases are difficult to treat conservatively or with surgery, like fenestration and hepatectomy, liver transplantation should be considered before it becomes too late.

Polycystic liver: automatic segmentation using deep learning on CT is faster and as accurate compared to manual segmentation

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and investigate the performance of a deep learning model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) for the automatic segmentation of polycystic livers at CT imaging.

METHOD

This retrospective study used CT images of polycystic livers. To develop the CNN, supervised training and validation phases were performed using 190 CT series. To assess performance, the test phase was performed using 41 CT series. Manual segmentation by an expert radiologist (Rad1a) served as reference for all comparisons. Intra-observer variability was determined by the same reader after 12 weeks (Rad1b), and inter-observer variability by a second reader (Rad2). The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) evaluated overlap between segmentations. CNN performance was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and the two-by-two difference between the CCCs; their confidence interval was estimated with bootstrap and Bland-Altman analyses. Liver segmentation time was automatically recorded for each method.

RESULTS

A total of 231 series from 129 CT examinations on 88 consecutive patients were collected. For the CNN, the DSC was 0.95 ± 0.03 and volume analyses yielded a CCC of 0.995 compared with reference. No statistical difference was observed in the CCC between CNN automatic segmentation and manual segmentations performed to evaluate inter-observer and intra-observer variability. While manual segmentation required 22.4 ± 10.4 min, central and graphics processing units took an average of 5.0 ± 2.1 s and 2.0 ± 1.4 s, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Compared with manual segmentation, automated segmentation of polycystic livers using a deep learning method achieved much faster segmentation with similar performance.

KEY POINTS

• Automatic volumetry of polycystic livers using artificial intelligence method allows much faster segmentation than expert manual segmentation with similar performance. • No statistical difference was observed between automatic segmentation, inter-observer variability, or intra-observer variability.

Polycystic Liver Disease: Advances in Understanding and Treatment

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive development of cholangiocyte-derived fluid-filled hepatic cysts. PLD is the most common manifestation of autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney diseases and rarely occurs as autosomal dominant PLD. The mechanisms of PLD are a sequence of the primary (mutations in PLD-causative genes), secondary (initiation of cyst formation), and tertiary (progression of hepatic cystogenesis) interconnected molecular and cellular events in cholangiocytes. Nonsurgical, surgical, and limited pharmacological treatment options are currently available for clinical management of PLD. Substantial evidence suggests that pharmacological targeting of the signaling pathways and intracellular processes involved in the progression of hepatic cystogenesis is beneficial for PLD. Many of these targets have been evaluated in preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of PLD and clinical and preclinical treatment strategies. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, Volume 17 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Polycystic liver disease with lethal abdominal wall rupture: a case report

Background

Polycystic liver disease is a clinical feature of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, and it can sometimes cause health damage more serious than polycystic kidney. Dialysis therapy can be used for renal failure, but liver transplantation is the only method available for liver failure. Thus, giant and multiple hepatic cysts may affect mortality. However, liver transplantation is not indicated in many cases because of the preserved liver function.

Case presentation

A 54-year-old Japanese woman with polycystic liver disease was transferred back to our hospital for abdominal pain caused by liver cyst infection with abdominal wall herniation. She had been diagnosed with polycystic liver disease associated with sporadic autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease 25 years earlier. Although she had several surgical interventions to reduce her liver volume, including right hepatic lobectomy and fenestration for liver cysts in another hospital, she needed further repair of the recurrent incisional herniation with patch graft surgery using fascia lata to cover the herniation site. However, new herniation sites reemerged in the fragile abdominal wall area around the patch, and therefore, she reduced the recurrent abdominal wall herniation by herself. Recurrent intestinal obstructions were luckily released by fasting with decompression treatment via nasogastric tube insertion, but multiple skin ulcers around the enlarged hernia sac gradually developed, and ascites was extremely difficult to control with any medication. At final admission, her abdominal wall was even more prominent, causing shortness of breath, and it spontaneously ruptured many times, which was accompanied by discharge of around 5 liters of ascites each time. She died from sepsis caused by drug-resistant Enterococcus.

Conclusions

We report a case of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with ruptured abdominal wall resulting from a hepatic cyst enlargement despite multiple laparotomy operations. Throughout the entire disease course, her liver volume increased rapidly, and her quality of life was severely impaired, but she could not undergo liver transplantation after readmission to our hospital. We will discuss the therapeutic strategy for this patient, including the timing and indication for liver transplantation.

Position paper on liver and kidney diseases from the Italian Association for the Study of Liver (AISF), in collaboration with the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN)

Liver and kidney are strictly connected in a reciprocal manner, in both the physiological and pathological condition. The Italian Association for the Study of Liver, in collaboration with the Italian Society of Nephrology, with this position paper aims to provide an up-to-date overview on the principal relationships between these two important organs. A panel of well-recognized international expert hepatologists and nephrologists identified five relevant topics: 1) The diagnosis of kidney damage in patients with chronic liver disease; 2) Acute kidney injury in liver cirrhosis; 3) Association between chronic liver disease and chronic kidney disease; 4) Kidney damage according to different etiology of liver disease; 5) Polycystic kidney and liver disease. The discussion process started with a review of the literature relating to each of the five major topics and clinical questions and related statements were subsequently formulated. The quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were graded according to the GRADE system. The statements presented here highlight the importance of strong collaboration between hepatologists and nephrologists for the management of critically ill patients, such as those with combined liver and kidney impairment.

Laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration with real-time indocyanine green fluorescence-guided surgery: a case report

Laparoscopic fenestration (LF) has recently been considered a standard procedure for nonparasitic symptomatic liver cysts. Here, we report a case of LF that was safely performed using real-time indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence-guided surgery. A 74-year-old woman presented with right upper abdominal pain and poor dietary intake. The patient was diagnosed with symptomatic liver cysts and underwent LF. One hour before surgery, ICG (2.5 mg) was intravenously administered to the patient. ICG fluorescence imaging clearly showed the biliary ducts and distinguished the cysts from the liver parenchyma. We could resect only the cyst walls as wide as possible under the guidance of both white light and fluorescence imaging. There were no signs of postoperative symptom recurrence. Detection of ICG fluorescence in the liver parenchyma is as important as ICG cholangiography for fenestration. Laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration with real-time ICG fluorescence-guided surgery is safe and can be used as a standard procedure.

Partial major hepatectomy with cyst fenestration for polycystic liver disease: Indications, short and long-term outcomes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Symptomatic polycystic liver disease (PLD) with massive hepatomegaly represents a challenging surgical issue. In this work, we focused on early and long term outcomes after partial hepatectomy with cyst fenestration (PHCF) in selected patients.

METHODS

All patients who had PHCF for treatment of PLD between January 2003 and December 2019 in our center were included in this study. PHCF was undertaken if at least one hepatic section was relatively spared from PLD, afferent and efferent hepatic vasculature was patent, and liver function was maintained.

RESULTS

Twenty nine patients (25 women) with a mean age of 54.6 ± 9 years underwent PHCF. Major hepatectomy was performed in all cases with 4.3 ± 0.8 resected segments. Overall perioperative morbidity (Clavien ≥ II) and mortality rates were 41.4.6% and 13.8% respectively. Significant postoperative liver volume reduction was 52.8% within the first year and 55.5% thereafter. From preoperative evaluation, performance status (PS) normalized or improved in 84% of patients. After a mean follow-up time of 70.8 ± 65 months, overall patient survival was 82.7%. In univariate analysis, PS, initial liver volume, operative time and transfusion were associated with post-operative complications and PS, preoperative cyst infection, portal hypertension, transfusion, postoperative sepsis and persistent ascites were associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms that in spite of significant morbidity rate, PHCF allows a massive reduction of liver volume in selected patients with symptomatic PLD and is highly and durably effective for the reduction of liver volume and improvement of quality of life.

Liver transplantation in adult polycystic liver disease: the Ontario experience

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation (LT) remains the curative treatment for symptomatic Polycystic Liver Disease (PCLD) patients and is associated with excellent survival rates. The aim of the study is to review the Ontario experience in LT for PCLD.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed from pre-existing LT databases from the LT Units at Toronto General Hospital and London Health Sciences Center, which are the two LT programs in Ontario, Canada. This database contains demographic, clinical parameters and follow-up of all patients transplanted for PCLD. Data was extracted for patients who underwent LT between January 2000-April 2017 and included follow up until December 31st, 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 3560 patients underwent LT, of whom 51 (1.4%) had PCLD and met inclusion criteria. 43 (84%) of these patients were female. The median physiologic Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD-Na) score at time of referral was 13 (IQR = 7-22), however all patients required MELD-Na exception points to receive LT. The median age of transplant was 62 years (IQR = 59-64) for male vs. 52 (IQR = 45-56) for female patients. 33 (65%) of our cohort had PCLD while 9 (17.5%) had ADPKD and 9 (17.5%) had both diseases. 39 (76%) had LT due to symptoms of mass effect, while 8 (16%) had portal hypertensive complications. After a median follow-up of 6.3 (IQR = 2.9-12.5) years, the probability of survival was 96% (95% CI: 90%, 100%). Log-rank test, comparing survival analysis between males and females did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.26).

CONCLUSION

Most patients underwent LT for PCLD due to symptoms of mass effect with women being more likely than men to undergo LT. LT for PCLD had excellent long-term survival.

Laparoscopic hepatic lobectomy for symptomatic polycystic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic fenestration has largely replaced open fenestration of liver cysts. However, most hepatectomies for polycystic liver disease (PCLD) are performed open. Outcomes data on laparoscopic hepatectomy for PCLD are lacking.

METHODS

Patients who underwent surgery for PCLD at a single institution between 2010 and 2019 were reviewed and grouped by operative approach. Pre- and post-operative volumes were calculated for patients who underwent resection. Primary outcomes were: volume reduction, re-admission and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients were treated for PCLD: 13 laparoscopic fenestration, nine laparoscopic hepatectomy, three open hepatectomy and one liver transplantation. Median length of stay for patients after laparoscopic resection was 3 days (IQR 2-3). The only complication was post-operative atrial fibrillation in one patient. There were no readmissions. Overall volume reduction was 51% (range 22-69) for all resections, 32% (range 22-46) after open resection and 56% (range 39-69) after laparoscopic resection.

CONCLUSION

Volume reduction achieved through laparoscopic approach exceeded open volume reduction at this institution and is comparable to volume reduction in previously published open resection series. Adequate volume reduction can be accomplished by laparoscopic means with acceptable postoperative morbidity.

Contemporary Management of Hepatic Cyst Disease: Techniques and Outcomes at a Tertiary Hepatobiliary Center

BACKGROUND

Hepatic cyst disease is often asymptomatic, but treatment is warranted if patients experience symptoms. We describe our management approach to these patients and review the technical nuances of the laparoscopic approach.

METHODS

Medical records were reviewed for operative management of hepatic cysts from 2012 to 2019 at a single, tertiary academic medical center.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients (39 female) met the inclusion criteria with median age at presentation of 65 years. Fifty cases (94.3%) were performed laparoscopically. Fourteen patients carried diagnosis of polycystic liver disease. Dominant cyst diameter was median 129 mm and located within the right lobe (30), left lobe (17), caudate (2), or was bilobar (4). Pre-operative concern for biliary cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma existed for 7 patients. Operative techniques included fenestration (40), fenestration with decapitation (7), decapitation alone (3), and excision (2). Partial hepatectomy was performed in conjunction with fenestration/decapitation for 15 cases: right sided (7), left sided (7), and central (1). One formal left hepatectomy was performed in a polycystic liver disease patient. Final pathology yielded simple cyst (52) and one biliary cystadenoma. Post-operative complications included bile leak (2), perihepatic fluid collection (1), pleural effusion (1), and ascites (1). At median 7.1-month follow-up, complete resolution of symptoms occurred for 34/49 patients (69.4%) who had symptoms preoperatively. Reintervention for cyst recurrence occurred for 5 cases (9.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes for hepatic cyst disease are described with predominantly laparoscopic approach, approach with minimal morbidity, and excellent clinical results.

Debulking of giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms: a case report

Background

There are no previous reports of debulking of giant liver hemangioma. This report describes our experience with debulking surgery for a patient with bilateral giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms.

Case presentation

We present a case of symptomatic giant liver hemangioma in a 41-year-old woman. She presented with abdominal pain and fullness at a local hospital and underwent trans-arterial embolization (TAE). TAE was not effective, and she was not able to walk a long distance. Giant liver hemangiomas, 30 cm and 15 cm in diameter, were located in the right liver and in the left lateral section, respectively, and normal liver parenchyma with tiny liver hemangiomas was present in segment 4. The liver function was normal. However, right hemi-hepatectomy with left lateral sectionectomy was considered to be risky according to the 3DCT volumetry. Therefore, we performed right hemi-hepatectomy in order to reduce her symptoms. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 14th day after surgery. The abdominal fullness and abdominal pain disappeared immediately after surgery. The hemangiomas in the remnant liver, 15 cm in diameter, showed no change, and she is well without symptoms 7 years after surgery.

Conclusions

Debulking surgery is one of the options for bilateral giant liver hemangiomas with severe symptoms.

Avoidance of bile duct injury during laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration using indocyanine green: A case report

By administering ICG test immediately before laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration, the biliary tract can be easily identified and intraoperative bile duct damage and postoperative bile fistula formation can be avoided, as demonstrated in this case.

Modified Technique of Total Hepatectomy in Polycystic Liver Disease With Caval Flow Preservation: The Exposure Left Lateral Sectionectomy

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation (LT) for polycystic liver disease (PLD) is rare, extremely challenging and hemorrhagic, without standard approach. Moreover, LT for PLD presents the highest mortality rate (12% to 18%) among all causes of LT. In this setting, the combination of difficult mobilization of a heavy polycystic native liver with narrow access to inferior vena cava and fragile venous wall may lead to venous tearing and cataclysmic bleeding during dissection. The aim of this study was to evaluate a modified technique of total hepatectomy to limit hazardous liver manipulation and improve exposure of inferior vena cava in patients with massive hepatomegaly related to PLD: the exposure left lateral sectionectomy (ELLS).

METHODS

From 2011 to 2018, ELLS was performed during LT for PLD. Key technical points for safe and fast ELLS include avoidance of left triangular ligament section and placement of a tape behind the left lateral section allowing its ascension and prior dissection of the hepatic pedicle to limit bleeding. The transection plane is mainly composed of cysts, with limited parenchyma, which allows for rapid and bloodless transection using electric scalpel.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients had ELLS with no postoperative death or intraoperative complication. Median ELLS duration was 16 minutes, and no massive bleeding occurred during this step. During total hepatectomy, median blood loss was 500 mL, and no patient required total caval clamping. All patients were alive at the end of the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

ELLS during LT for PLD facilitates total hepatectomy with vena cava and caval flow preservation.

Symptom relief and quality of life after combined partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration in highly symptomatic polycystic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Polycystic liver disease can cause severe symptomatic hepatomegaly. Combined partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration can be performed to reduce liver volume and symptom burden. We aimed to assess change in symptom relief and quality of life 6 months after partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration in polycystic liver disease patients.

METHOD

We established a prospective cohort between 2014 and 2018 at a referral center in the United States. Patients who underwent partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration for volume-related symptoms were included. Primary outcome was change in polycystic liver disease-related symptoms, measured with Polycystic Liver Disease Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were change in liver volume (computed tomography/ magnetic resonance imaging) and change in quality of life, measured with the 12-Item Short Form Survey and the EuroQoL Visual Analogue Scale. Questionnaire scores range from 0 to 100 and were assessed before and 6 months after partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration. Surgical complications were scored according to Clavien-Dindo (grade 1 to 5).

RESULTS

We included 18 patients (mean age 52 years, 82% female). Partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration reduced median liver volume (4,917 to 2,120 mL). Symptoms, measured with Polycystic Liver Disease Questionnaire, decreased (76.9 to 34.8 points; P < .001) 6 months after surgery; 15/16 symptoms declined after treatment, with the most impact seen on early satiety and dyspnea. Quality of life also improved after surgery: median physical and mental component scales of the 12-Item Short Form Survey and EuroQoL Visual Analog Scale increased (24.9 to 45.7, P = .004; 40.5 to 55.4, P = .02; and 40.0 to 72.5, P = .003). Major complications (grade 4) occurred in 2 patients. There was no procedure-related mortality.

CONCLUSION

Partial hepatectomy and cyst fenestration substantially improves symptom burden and quality of life in highly symptomatic polycystic liver disease patients.

Polycystic liver disease: Classification, diagnosis, treatment process, and clinical management

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a rare hereditary disease that independently exists in isolated PLD, or as an accompanying symptom of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease with complicated mechanisms. PLD currently lacks a unified diagnostic standard. The diagnosis of PLD is usually made when the number of hepatic cysts is more than 20. Gigot classification and Schnelldorfer classification are now commonly used to define severity in PLD. Most PLD patients have no clinical symptoms, and minority with severe complications need treatments. Somatostatin analogues, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, ursodeoxycholic acid and vasopressin-2 receptor antagonist are the potentially effective medical therapies, while cyst aspiration and sclerosis, transcatheter arterial embolization, fenestration, hepatic resection and liver transplantation are the options of invasion therapies. However, the effectiveness of these therapies except liver transplantation are still uncertain. Furthermore, there is no unified strategy to treat PLD between medical centers at present. In order to better understand recent study progresses on PLD for clinical practice and obtain potential directions for future researches, this review mainly focuses on the recent progress in PLD classification, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and treatment. For information, we also provided medical treatment processes of PLD in our medical center.

Severe polycystic liver diseases: hepatectomy or waiting for liver transplantation?: Two case reports

INTRODUCTION

Choice of treatment in patients with symptomatic polycystic liver diseases (PLD) remains controversial. Various surgical procedures aiming at eliminating symptomatic cysts are widely used in mild and advanced PLD patients, but liver transplantation is currently recommended as the only curative treatment especially in severe cases.

PATIENT CONCERNS

Case 1: A 51-year-old male was admitted for severe eating disorder and dyspnea for 2 months. He had been diagnosed as PLD, PKD, and hypertension for 9 years, with only antihypertensive drug therapy. No significant family history could be traced.Case 2: A 54-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for ventosity during nearly 5 years. She had been diagnosed as PLD and hypertension for 22 years, for which only aspiration-sclerotherapy therapy was performed for multiple times. Both her mother and sister were diagnosed with PLD previously.

DIAGNOSIS

They were diagnosed as PLD by medical history, family history, and computed tomography scan (multiple cysts dispersively presenting in the liver).

INTERVENTIONS

The 2 patients underwent hepatectomy with fenestration, and were well recovered with no mortality.

OUTCOMES

While case 1 only experienced relief of symptoms, case 2 experienced massive growth of hepatic parenchyma, which indicated positive prognosis and showed the possibility to avoid or at least postpone liver transplantation for a long time, considering the lack of liver parenchyma is one of the main reason for urgency of liver transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Here we described subradical polycystic hepatectomy, a special form of hepatectomy with fenestration modified by us, as a safe and effective treatment to potentially achieve long-term effects in PLD patients.

Management of portal hypertension and ascites in polycystic liver disease

Patients suffering from polycystic liver disease may develop Hepatic Venous Outflow Obstruction, Portal Vein Obstruction and/or Inferior Caval Vein Syndrome because of cystic mass effect. This can cause portal hypertension, leading to ascites, variceal haemorrhage or splenomegaly. For this review, we evaluate the evidence to provide clinical guidance for physicians faced with this complication. Diagnosis is made with imaging such as ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Therapy includes conventional therapy with diuretics and paracentesis, and medical therapy using somatostatin analogues. Based on disease phenotype various (non-)surgical liver-volume reducing therapies, hepatic or portal venous stenting, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and liver transplantation may be considered. Because of complicated anatomy, use of high-risk interventions and lack of empirical evidence, patients should be treated in expert centres.

Polyhedral Fenestration Technique Used for Combined Partial Hepatectomy and Cyst Fenestration for Polycystic Liver Disease: A Small Case Series

Objective:

To assess the safety and efficacy of “polyhedral fenestration technique” (PFT), which we newly developed, in combined hepatectomy and cyst fenestration (CHCF) for symptomatic polycystic liver disease (PLD).

Summary of background data:

CHCF for PLD has been reportedly less efficacious for its invasiveness because 50% to 70% patients suffered recurrent symptoms after CHCF.

Methods:

Patient characteristics, intra- and early postoperative variables were compared between 5 PLD patients undergoing CHCF performed with PFT (PLD group) and 95 patients with diseases other than PLD receiving hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction during the same period (Control group) to assess safety of PFT. Chronological changes in total liver volume (TLV) measured by computed tomography (CT) volumetry as well as recurrent symptoms after CHCF were investigated to assess long-term outcomes.

Results:

Although ≧ Clavien-Dindo grade 2 complications were more common in the PLD group than in the Control group (PLD vs Control, 5/5[100%] vs 27/95[28%], p=0.004), patient characteristics, intra-, and early postoperative variables, including ≧ Clavien-Dindo grade 3 complications, were comparable among the 2 groups. Postoperative observational period of the 5 PLD patients ranged 30 to 88 months with a median of 63. CT volumetry revealed that TLV continued to reduce up to 1 year after surgery and thereafter retained less than 0.5 times of preoperative TLV in all patients. Recurrent liver enlargement or recurrent symptoms were not observed in any of the 5 PLD patients.

Conclusions:

Although our case series was very small, newly-developed PFT in CHCF for PLD yielded acceptable safety and excellent long-term outcomes.

Liver Transplant for Unusually Large Polycystic Liver Disease: Challenges and Pitfalls

Patients with polycystic liver disease are described in the literature as both recipient and donor for liver transplant. Due to well-preserved liver function, it is often difficult for these patients to receive an organ. Livers of these patients are often large and heavier than a normal organ. We describe two cases who had exceedingly large livers, weighing 14 and 19 kg. To the best of our knowledge and search, these are some of the heaviest explanted livers, and one of the patients incidentally received a liver from a donor with ADPKD. The aim of this report is to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of evaluating and listing, technical aspect of the transplant, possibility of transplanting a liver from a donor with a genetic cystic disease to a cystic disease recipient, and the related literature with some highlights on the facts from UNOS/OPTN data.

Outcome of Kidney Transplant in Patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Single-Center Study in Tunisia

OBJECTIVES

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a common cause of end-stage renal disease and a common indication for renal transplant. This study was undertaken to evaluate the demographics, outcomes, and complications of renal transplant in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease compared with other nephropathies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a retrospective case-control design, we reviewed the records of 7 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease from a total of 701 renal transplant patients over a 30-year period (1986-2016). For each patient, a matched control was selected based on sex, age, year of transplant, and type of kidney donor. We excluded patients who underwent kidney transplant abroad and those with a follow-up period of less than 2 years.

RESULTS

The number of patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease requiring transplant at our center was estimated at 0.23 per year, and the condition represented 1.57% of initial nephropathy causes. The mean patient age at transplant was 50.8 ± 8.05 years. There were 5 male and 2 female patients in the case group, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.5. The source of the graft was predominantly a living related donor (5/7). Four patients had extrarenal manifestations, the most common of which were liver cysts (3 patients). Rejection occurred in a single study patient (14.2%) and in 4 control patients (57.1%; P = .51). Two patients did not develop any complications. Complications noted after transplant included infection (3/7 cases vs 2/7 controls; P= .67) and cerebrovascular accidents (2/7 cases vs 0/7 controls).

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies with longer follow-up and greater numbers of patients are needed to compare more precisely the complications and results of transplant between patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and other kidney transplant recipients.