LAUSR

PURPOSE To analyse the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in patients with vascular complications and transplant rejection compared to histopathological results. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study consisted of 45 retrospectively analysed patients that underwent liver transplantations between January 1993 and December 2015 and developed post-transplant vascular complications with transplant rejection. CEUS examinations took place between September 2006 and December 2015. CEUS findings were correlated with histopathological results. RESULTS CEUS showed a sensitivity of 61.5%, a specificity of 100.0%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100.0% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 86,5% in the detection of vascular complications with post-transplant rejection. 5 examinations were reported as normal whereas the histopathological result showed a transplant rejection (false-negative). CONCLUSION CEUS might be a useful additional non-invasive technique for the assessment of vascular complications with post-transplant rejection in patients after liver transplantation.