Critical considerations for the management of acute abdomen in transplant patients

The number of solid organ transplantations performed annually is increasing and are increasing in the following order:Kidney,liver,heart,lung,pancreas,small bowel,and uterine transplants.However,the outcomes of transplants are impro-ving(organ survival>90%after the 1st year).Therefore,there is a high probability that a general surgeon will be faced with the management of a transplant patient with acute abdomen.Surgical problems in immunocompromised patients may not only include graft-related problems but also nongraft-related problems.The perioperative regulation of immunosuppression,the treatment of accompanying problems of immunosuppression,the administration of cortisol and,above all,the realization of a rapidly deteriorating situation and the accurate evaluation and interpretation of clinical manifestations are particularly important in these patients.The perioperative assessment and preparation includes evaluation of the patient’s cardiovascular system and determining if the patient has hypertension or suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,or if the patient has had any coagulation mechanism abnormalities or thromboembolic episodes.Immunosuppression in transplant patients is associated with the use of calci-neurin inhibitors,corticosteroids,and antiproliferation agents.Many times,the clinical picture is atypical,resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment and leading to increased morbidity and mortality.Multidetector computed tomo-graphy is of utmost importance for early diagnosis and management.Transplant recipients are prone to infections,especially specific infections caused by cytomegalovirus and Clostridium difficile,and they are predisposed to intraop-erative or postoperative complications that require great care and vigilance.It is necessary to follow evidence-based therapeutic protocols.Thus,it is required that the clinician choose the correct therapeutic plan for the patient(conservative,emergency open surgery or minimally invasive surgery,including laparoscopic or even robotic surgery).

Glypican-3 expression and its relationship with recurrence of HCC after liver transplantation

AIM:To investigate the diagnostic value of glypican-3(GPC3) and its relationship with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation.METHODS:HCC tissue samples(n = 31) obtained from patients who had undergone liver transplantation were analyzed.GPC3 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed by TaqMan real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry.Correlation between the GPC3 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed.The potential prognostic value of GPC3 was investigated by comparing recurrence-free survival between HCC patients with and without GPC3 expression.RESULTS:Using a cutoff value of 3.5 × 10-2,20 of 31 cancerous tissues had expression values of > 3.5 × 10-2,whereas 3 of 31 adjacent non-neoplastic parenchyma and 0 of 20 control liver tissues had expression values of > 3.5 × 10-2(P < 0.001).GPC3 protein was immunoexpressed in 68% of cancerous tissues,but not in adjacent non-neoplastic parenchyma and control liver tissues.Vascular invasion was significantly related to GPC3 expression(P < 0.05).Recurrence-free survival was significantly longer for patients without GPC3 mRNA overexpression(> 3.5 × 10-2) and those without vascular invasion(P < 0.05 for both).CONCLUSION:GPC3 expression may serve as a valuable diagnostic marker for HCC.GPC3 mRNA overexpression may be an adverse indicator for HCC patients after liver transplantation.

Splenectomy in living donor liver transplantation and risk factors of portal vein thrombosis

Background:Graft inflow modulation(GIM)during adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation(LDLT)is a common strategy to avoid small-for-size syndrome,and some transplant surgeons attempt small size graft strategy with frequent GIM procedures,which are mostly performed by splenectomy,in LDLT.However,splenectomy can cause serious complications such as portal vein thrombosis and overwhelming postsplenectomy infection.Methods:Forty-eight adult-to-adult LDLT recipients were enrolled in this study and retrospectively reviewed.We applied the graft selection criteria,which routinely fulfill graft-to-recipient weight ratio≥0.8%,and consider GIM as a backup strategy for high portal venous pressure(PVP).Results:In our current strategy of LDLT,splenectomy was performed mostly due to hepatitis C and splenic arterial aneurysms,but splenectomy for GIM was intended to only one patient(2.1%).The final PVP values≤20 mmHg were achieved in all recipients,and no significant difference was observed in patient survival or postoperative clinical course based on whether splenectomy was performed or not.However,6 of 18 patients with splenectomy(33.3%)developed postsplenectomy portal vein thrombosis(PVT),while none of the 30 patients without splenectomy developed PVT after LDLT.Splenectomy was identified as a risk factor of PVT in this study(P<0.001).Our study revealed that a lower final PVP could be risk factor of postsplenectomy PVT.Conclusions:Using sufficient size grafts was one of the direct solutions to control PVP,and allowed GIM to be reserved as a backup procedure.Splenectomy should be avoided as much as possible during LDLT because splenectomy was found to be a definite risk factor of PVT.In splenectomy cases with a lower final PVP,a close follow-up is required for early detection and treatment of PVT.

Balloon dilatation for treatment of hepatic venous outflow obstruction following pediatric liver transplantation

AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of balloon dilatation for the treatment of hepatic venous outflow obstruction(HVOO) following pediatric liver transplantation.METHODS A total of 246 pediatric patients underwent liver transplantation at our hospital between June 2013 and September 2016. Among these patients, five were ultimately diagnosed with HVOO. Seven procedures(two patients underwent two balloon dilatation procedures) were included in this analysis. The demographic data,types of donor and liver transplant, interventional examination and therapeutic outcomes of these five children were analyzed. The median interval time between pediatric liver transplantation and balloon dilatation procedures was 9.8 mo(range: 1-32).RESULTS Five children with HVOO were successfully treated by balloon angioplasty without stent placement, with seven procedures performed for six stenotic lesions. All children underwent successful percutaneous intervention. Among these five patients, four were treated by single balloon angioplasty, and these patients did not develop recurrent stenosis. In seven episodes of balloon angioplasty across the stenosis, the pressure gradient was 12.0 ± 8.8 mm Hg before balloon dilatation and 1.1 ± 1.5 mm Hg after the procedures, which revealed a statistically significant reduction(P < 0.05). The overall technical success rate among these seven procedures was 100%(7/7), and clinical success was achieved in all five patients(100%). The patients were followed for 4-33 mo(median: 15 mo). No significant procedural complications or procedurerelated deaths occurred.CONCLUSION Balloon dilatation is an effective and safe therapeutic option for HVOO in children undergoing pediatric liver transplantation. Venous angioplasty is also recommended in cases with recurrent HVOO.

Utility of central venous pressure measurement in renal transplantation: Is it evidence based?

Adequate intravenous fluid therapy is essential in renal transplant recipients to ensure a good allograft perfusion. Central venous pressure(CVP) has been cons-idered the corners-tone to guide the fluid therapy for decades; it was the only available simple tool worldwide. However, the revolutionary advances in assessing the dynamic preload variables together with the availability of new equipment to precisely measure the effect of intravenous fluids on the cardiac output had created a question mark on the future role of CVP. Des-pite the critical role of fluid therapy in the field of tra-nsplantation. There are only a few clinical studies that compared the CVP guided fluid therapy with the other modern techniques and their relation to the outcome in renal transplantation. Our work sheds some light on the available published data in renal transplantation, together with data from other disciplines evaluating the utility of central venous pressure measurement. Although lager well-designed studies are still required to consolidate the role of new techniques in the field of renal transplantation, we can confidently declare that the new techniques have the advantages of providing more accurate haemodynamic assessment, which results in a better patient outcome.

Risk of alcohol use relapse after liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease

AIMTo investigate factors, including psychosocial factors, associated with alcoholic use relapse after liver transplantation (LT) for alcoholic liver disease (ALD).METHODSThe clinical records of 102 patients with ALD who were referred to Nagoya University Hospital for LT between May 2003 and March 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. History of alcohol intake was obtained from their clinical records and scored according to the High-Risk Alcoholism Relapse scale, which includes duration of heavy drinking, types and amount of alcohol usually consumed, and previous inpatient treatment history for alcoholism. All patients were assessed for eligibility for LT according to comprehensive criteria, including Child-Pugh score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and psychosocial criteria.RESULTSOf the 102 patients with ALD referred for LT, seven (6.9%) underwent LT. One (14.3%) of these seven patients returned to heavy drinking, but that patient was able to successfully quit drinking following an immediate intervention, consisting of psychotherapeutic education and supportive psychotherapy, by a psychiatrist. A comparison between the transplantation/registration (T/R) group, consisting of the seven patients who underwent LT and 10 patients listed for deceased donor LT, and 50 patients who did not undergo LT and were not listed for deceased donor LT (non-T/R group), showed statistically significant differences in duration of abstinence period (P &#x0003c; 0.01), duration of heavy drinking (P &#x0003c; 0.05), adherence to medical treatment (P &#x0003c; 0.01), and declaration of abstinence (P &#x0003c; 0.05).CONCLUSIONPatients with ALD referred for LT require comprehensive evaluation, including evaluation of psychosocial criteria, to prevent alcoholic recidivism.

Pancreatic transplantation: Brief review of the current evidence

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for management of end-stage renal disease.However,in diabetic patients,the underlying metabolic disturbance will persist and even may get worse after isolated kidney transplantation.Pancreatic transplantation in humans was first introduced in 1966.The initial outcome was disappointing.However,this was changed after the improvement of surgical techniques together with better patient selection and the availability of potent and better-tolerated immune-suppression like cyclosporine and induction antibodies.Combined kidney and pancreas transplantation will not only solve the problem of organ failure,but it will also stabilise or even reverse the metabolic complications of diabetes.Combined kidney and pancreas transplantation have the best long term outcome in diabetic cases with renal failure.Nevertheless,at the cost of an initial increase in morbidity and risk of mortality.Other transplantation options include pancreas after kidney transplantation and islet cell transplantation.We aim by this work to explore various options which can be offered to a diabetic patient with advanced chronic kidney disease.Our work will provide a simplified,yet up-to-date information regarding the different management options for those diabetic chronic kidney failure patients.

Challenges involved in the application of artificial intelligence in gastroenterology:The race is on!

Gastroenterology is a particularly data-rich field,generating vast repositories of data that are a fruitful ground for artificial intelligence(AI)and machine learning(ML)applications.In this opinion review,we initially elaborate on the current status of the application of AI/ML-based software in gastroenterology.Currently,AI/ML-based models have been developed in the following applications:Models integrated into the clinical setting following real-time patient data flagging patients at high risk for developing a gastrointestinal disease,models employing non-invasive parameters that provide accurate diagnoses aiming to either replace,minimize,or refine the indications of endoscopy,models utilizing genomic data to diagnose various gastrointestinal diseases,computer-aided diagnosis systems facilitating the interpretation of endoscopy images,models to facilitate treatment allocation and predict the response to treatment,and finally,models in prognosis predicting complications,recurrence following treatment,and overall survival.Then,we elaborate on several challenges and how they may negatively impact the widespread application of AI in healthcare and gastroenterology.Specifically,we elaborate on concerns regarding accuracy,cost-effectiveness,cybersecurity,interpretability,oversight,and liability.While AI is unlikely to replace physicians,it will transform the skillset demanded by future physicians to practice.Thus,physicians are expected to engage with AI to avoid becoming obsolete.

Artificial kidney: Challenges and opportunities

This review aims to present the developments occurring in the field of artificial organs and particularly focuses on the presentation of developments in artificial kidneys.The challenges for biomedical engineering involved in overcoming the potential difficulties are showcased,as well as the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in this marriage of medicine and technology.In this review,modern artificial kidneys and the research efforts trying to provide and promise artificial kidneys are presented.But what are the problems faced by each technology and to what extent is the effort enough to date?

Recurrence and rejection in liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease affecting the bile ducts, leading to f ibrosis and eventually cirrhosis in most patients. Its etiology is unknown and so far no effective medical therapy is available. Liver transplantation (LTX) is the only curative treatment and at present PSC is the main indication for LTX in the Scandinavian countries. Close to half of the PSC patients experience one or more episodes of acute cellular rejection (ACR) following transplantation and approximately 1/5 of the transplanted patients develop recurrent disease in the graft. In addition, some reports indicate that ACR early after LTX for PSC can infl uence the risk for recurrent disease. For these important post-transplantation entities affecting PSC patients, we have reviewed the current literature on epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and the possible infl uence of rejection on the risk of recurrent disease in the allograft.

Interventional radiology procedures in adult patients who underwent liver transplantation

Interventional radiology has acquired a key role in every liver transplantation(LT)program by treating the majority of vascular and non-vascular post-transplant complications,improving graft and patient survival and avoiding,in the majority of cases,surgical revision and/or re-transplantation.The aim of this paper is to review indications,technical consideration,results achievable and potential complications of interventional radiology procedures after deceased donor LT and living related adult LT.

Multidisciplinary imaging of liver hydatidosis

Liver hydatidosis is a parasitic endemic disease affecting extensive areas in our planet, a significant stigma within medicine to manage because of its incidence, possible complications, and diagnostic involvements. The diagnosis of liver hydatidosis should be as fast as possible because of the relevant complications that may arise with disease progression, involving multiple organs and neighboring structures causing disruption, migration, contamination. The aim of this essay is to illustrate the role of imaging as ultrasonography （US）, multi detector row computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） in the evaluation of liver hydatidosis： the diagnosis, the assessment of extension, the identification of possible complications and the monitoring the response to therapy. US is the screening method of choice. Computed tomography （CT） is indi-cated in cases in which US is inadequate and has high sensitivity and specificity for calcified hydatid cysts. Magnetic resonance is the best imaging procedure to demonstrate a cystic component and to show a biliary tree involvement. Diagnostic tests such as CT and MRI are mandatory in liver hydatidosis because they allow thorough knowledge regarding lesion size, location, and relations to intrahepatic vascular and biliary structures, providing useful information for effective treatment and decrease in post-operative morbidity. Hydatid disease is classified into four types on the basis of their radiologic appearance.

Imaging in liver transplantation

The aim of this study was to illustrate the role of noninvasive imaging tools such as ultrasonography,multidetector row computed tomography,and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of pediatric and adult liver recipients and potential liver donors,and in the detection of potential complications arising from liver transplantation.

Diagnosis of focal liver lesions with deep learning-based multichannel analysis of hepatocyte-specific contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND The nature of input data is an essential factor when training neural networks.Research concerning magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-based diagnosis of liver tumors using deep learning has been rapidly advancing.Still,evidence to support the utilization of multi-dimensional and multi-parametric image data is lacking.Due to higher information content,three-dimensional input should presumably result in higher classification precision.Also,the differentiation between focal liver lesions(FLLs)can only be plausible with simultaneous analysis of multisequence MRI images.AIM To compare diagnostic efficiency of two-dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D)-densely connected convolutional neural networks(DenseNet)for FLLs on multi-sequence MRI.METHODS We retrospectively collected T2-weighted,gadoxetate disodium-enhanced arterial phase,portal venous phase,and hepatobiliary phase MRI scans from patients with focal nodular hyperplasia(FNH),hepatocellular carcinomas(HCC)or liver metastases(MET).Our search identified 71 FNH,69 HCC and 76 MET.After volume registration,the same three most representative axial slices from all sequences were combined into four-channel images to train the 2D-DenseNet264 network.Identical bounding boxes were selected on all scans and stacked into 4D volumes to train the 3D-DenseNet264 model.The test set consisted of 10-10-10 tumors.The performance of the models was compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC),specificity,sensitivity,positive predictive values(PPV),negative predictive values(NPV),and f1 scores.RESULTS The average AUC value of the 2D model(0.98)was slightly higher than that of the 3D model(0.94).Mean PPV,sensitivity,NPV,specificity and f1 scores(0.94,0.93,0.97,0.97,and 0.93)of the 2D model were also superior to metrics of the 3D model(0.84,0.83,0.92,0.92,and 0.83).The classification metrics of FNH were 0.91,1.00,1.00,0.95,and 0.95 using the 2D and 0.90,0.90,0.95,0.95,and 0.90 using the 3D models.The 2D and 3D networks'performance in the diagnosis of HCC were 1.00,0.80,0.91,1.00,and 0.89 and 0.88,0.70,0.86,0.95,and 0.78,respectively;while the evaluation of MET lesions resulted in 0.91,1.00,1.00,0.95,and 0.95 and 0.75,0.90,0.94,0.85,and 0.82 using the 2D and 3D networks,respectively.CONCLUSION Both 2D and 3D-DenseNets can differentiate FNH,HCC and MET with good accuracy when trained on hepatocyte-specific contrast-enhanced multi-sequence MRI volumes.

Role of three-dimensional printing and artificial intelligence in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma:Challenges and opportunities

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)constitutes the fifth most frequent malignancy worldwide and the third most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths.Currently,treatment selection is based on the stage of the disease.Emerging fields such as three-dimensional(3D)printing,3D bioprinting,artificial intelligence(AI),and machine learning(ML)could lead to evidence-based,individualized management of HCC.In this review,we comprehensively report the current applications of 3D printing,3D bioprinting,and AI/ML-based models in HCC management;we outline the significant challenges to the broad use of these novel technologies in the clinical setting with the goal of identifying means to overcome them,and finally,we discuss the opportunities that arise from these applications.Notably,regarding 3D printing and bioprinting-related challenges,we elaborate on cost and cost-effectiveness,cell sourcing,cell viability,safety,accessibility,regulation,and legal and ethical concerns.Similarly,regarding AI/ML-related challenges,we elaborate on intellectual property,liability,intrinsic biases,data protection,cybersecurity,ethical challenges,and transparency.Our findings show that AI and 3D printing applications in HCC management and healthcare,in general,are steadily expanding;thus,these technologies will be integrated into the clinical setting sooner or later.Therefore,we believe that physicians need to become familiar with these technologies and prepare to engage with them constructively.

α-fetoprotein,vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 and early recurrence of hepatoma

AIM:To investigate whether α-fetoprotein (AFP) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 correlate with early recurrence of hepatoma/hepatocel-lular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:From 2000 to 2005,114 consecutive pa-tients with HCC underwent primary curative hepatecto-my.The mean age was 60.7 (8.7) years and 94 patients were male.The median follow-up period was 71.2 mo (range:43-100 mo).Immediately prior to commencing laparotomy,5 mL bone marrow was aspirated from thesternum and collected in citrate-coated test tubes.The initial 2 mL of bone marrow aspirate was discarded in each case.AFP mRNA and VEGFR-1 mRNA in the bone marrow and peripheral blood (BM-and PH-AFP mRNA and BM-and PH-VEGFR-1 mRNA,respectively) were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.As normal controls,VEGFR-1 mRNA in the bone marrow and peripheral blood was also measured in 11 living liver donors.These data were evaluated for any correlation with early recurrence,comparing clinical and pathological outcomes.RESULTS:The cut-off value of the BM-AFP mRNA and PH-AFP mRNA level in patients with HCC was set at 1.92 × 10-7 and zero,respectively,based on data from the controls.A total of 34 (29.8%) and six (5.4%) patients were positive for BM-AFP mRNA and PH-AFP mRNA,respectively.The BM-VEGFR-1 mRNA levels in all HCC patients were higher than those in the normal con-trols,and this was the case also for PH-VEGFR-1mRNA.The 25-percentile values for the BM-and PH-VEGFR-1 mRNA in HCC patients were used as the cut-off values for assigning the patients into two groups based on these transcript levels.The High group for BM-VEG-FR-1 mRNA contained 81 (71.1%) HCC cases and the Low group was assigned 33 (28.9%) patients.These numbers for PH-VEGFR-1mRNA were 78 (75.0%) and 26 (25.0%),respectively.HCC recurred in 80 patients;in the remnant liver in 48 cases,in the remnant liver and remote tissue in 20,and in the remote tissue alone in 12.BM-AFP mRNA-positive cases showed a signifi-cantly higher rate of early recurrence (within 1 year of surgical treatment) compared with BM-AFP mRNA-negative patients (P=0.0091).Patients were classified into four groups according to the level/status of their BM-VEGFR-1 and BM-AFP mRNA as follows:group A (n=23),BM-VEGFR-1/BM-AFP mRNA=low/negative;group B (n=57) high/negative;group C (n=10) low/positive;group D (n=24),high/positive.This classifi-cation was found to correlate with a recurrence of thisdisease within 1 year (P=0.0228).The disease-free survival curve of group A was significantly better than that of groups B,C or D (P=0.0437,P=0.0325,P=0.0225).No other classification (i.e.,PH-VEGF-R1/BM-AFP,BM-VEGF-R1/PH-AFP,and PH-VEGF-R1/PH-AFP mRNA) showed such a correlation.CONCLUSION:The evaluation of BM-AFP and BM-VEG-FR-1 mRNA in patients with HCC may be a valuable pre-dictor of disease recurrence following curative resection.

Thrombotic microangiopathy after renal transplantation: Current insights in de novo and recurrent disease

Thrombotic microangiopathy(TMA) is one of the most devastating sequalae of kidney transplantation. A number of published articles have covered either de novo or recurrent TMA in an isolated manner. We have, hereby, in this article endeavored to address both types of TMA in a comparative mode. We appreciate that de novo TMA is more common and its prognosis is poorer than recurrent TMA; the latter has a genetic background, with mutations that impact disease behavior and, consequently, allograft and patient survival. Post-transplant TMA can occur as a recurrence of the disease involving the native kidney or as de novo disease with no evidence of previous involvement before transplant. While atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare disease that results from complement dysregulation with alternative pathway overactivity, de novo TMA is a heterogenous set of various etiologies and constitutes the vast majority of post-transplant TMA cases. Management of both diseases varies from simple maneuvers, e.g., plasmapheresis, drug withdrawal or dose modification, to lifelong complement blockade, which is rather costly. Careful donor selection and proper recipient preparation, including complete genetic screening, would be a pragmatic approach. Novel therapies, e.g., purified products of the deficient genes, though promising in theory, are not yet of proven value.

De novo glomerular diseases after renal transplantation:How is it different from recurrent glomerular diseases?

The glomerular diseases after renal transplantation can occur de novo,i.e.,with no relation to the native kidney disease,or more frequently occur as a recurrence of the original disease in the native kidney.There may not be any difference in clinical features and histological pattern between de novo glomerular disease and recurrence of original glomerular disease.However,structural alterations in transplanted kidney add to dilemma in diagnosis.These changes in architecture of histopathology can happen due to:(1) exposure to the immunosuppression specifically the calcineurin inhibitors(CNI);(2) in vascular and tubulointerstitial alterations as a result of antibody mediated or cellmediated immunological onslaught;(3) post-transplant viral infections;(4) ischemia-reperfusion injury; and(5) hyperfiltration injury.The pathogenesis of the de novo glomerular diseases differs with each type.Stimulation of B-cell clones with subsequent production of the monoclonal Ig G,particularly Ig G3 subtype that has higher affinity to the negatively charged glomerular tissue,is suggested to be included in PGNMID pathogenesis.De novo membranous nephropathy canbe seen after exposure to the cryptogenic podocyte antigens.The role of the toxic effects of CNI including tissue fibrosis and the hemodynamic alterations may be involved in the de novo FSGS pathophysiology.The well-known deleterious effects of HCV infection and its relation to MPGN disease are frequently reported.The new concepts have emerged that demonstrate the role of dysregulation of alternative complement pathway in evolution of MPGN that led to classifying into two subgroups,immune complex mediated MPGN and complement-mediated MPGN.The latter comprises of the dense deposit disease and the C3 GN disease.De novo C3 disease is rather rare.Prognosis of de novo diseases varies with each type and their management continues to be empirical to a large extent.

MDCT, MR and interventional radiology in biliary atresia candidates for liver transplantation

The multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scan and magnetic resonance (MR) of the abdomen play a key role in the work-up to liver transplantation (LT) by identifying congenital anomalies or cirrhosis-related modifications, conditions that can require changes in surgical technique. Moreover, the MDCT and MR scans allow identification of cirrhotic liver hepatic masses, extrahepatic porto-systemic shunts, eventual thrombosis of portal system and radiological signs of portal hypertension associated with biliary atresia (BA). The aim of this paper is to review MDCT, MR imaging and interven-tional radiology procedures performed to evaluate morphological changes and degree of portal hypertension in pediatric patients with end-stage liver disease secondary to BA, who are candidates for LT. Advances in the field of MR, MDCT and in percutaneous minimally invasive techniques have increased the importance of radiology in the management of pediatric patients with BA who are candidates for LT.

Minimization vs tailoring:Where do we stand with personalized immunosuppression during renal transplantation in 2015?

The introduction of novel immunosuppressive agents over the last two decades and the improvement of our diagnostic tools for early detection of antibodymediated injury offer us an opportunity, if not a mandate, to better match the immunosuppression needs of the individual patients with side effects of the therapy. However, immunosuppressive regimens in the majority of programs remain mostly protocol-driven, with relatively little inter-program heterogeneity in certain areas of the world. Emerging data showing different outcomes with a particular immunosuppressive strategy in populations with varying immunological risks underscore a real potential for "personalized medicine" in renal transplantation. Studies demonstrating marked differences in the adverse-effect profiles of individual drugs including the risk for viral infections, malignancy and renal toxicity call for a paradigm shift away from a "one size fits all" approach to an individually tailored immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplant recipients, assisted by both screening for predictors of graft loss and paying close attention to dose or class-related adverse effects. Our paper explores some of the opportunities during the care of these patients. Potential areas of improvements may include:(1) a thorough assessment of immunological and metabolic risk profile of each renal transplant recipient;(2) screening for predictors of graft loss and early signs of antibody-mediated rejection with donor-specific antibodies, protocol biopsies and proteinuria(including close follow up of adverse effects with dose adjustments or conversions as necessary); and(3) increased awareness of the possible link between poor tolerance of a given drug at a given dose and non-adherence with the prescribed regimen. Altogether, these considerations may enable the most effective use of the drugs we already have.