Computed tomography perfusion in living donor liver transplantation: an initial study of normal hemodynamic changes in liver grafts

Abstract

Hepatic hemodynamic changes in grafts after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) are complicated. In this study, computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameter values, especially portal vein perfusion (PVP), was retrospectively analyzed in recipients both with and without small-for-size syndrome (SFSS). PVP was significantly higher in non-SFSS recipients on post-operative day (POD) 14 or 28 than in normal donors before donation (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively), but it significantly decreased between 14 and 28 days post-operatively (p = 0.007). There was a significant inverse correlation between graft-to-recipient spleen size ratio and PVP on POD 14 in non-SFSS group (r = -0.545, p = 0.002). Furthermore, PVP in the SFSS group was significantly greater than in the non-SFSS group on POD 14 (p = 0.042). In conclusion, we successfully evaluated normal hemodynamic changes in grafts without SFSS by CT perfusion examination. To our knowledge, this is the first study on hemodynamic changes of living donor liver grafts using CT technique.