Connecting Radiology | Enabling collaboration and professional development
CT of heart transplant recipients: spectrum of disease.
Knollmann FD, Hummel M, Hetzer R, Felix R.
Strahlenklinik, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. friedrich.knollmann@charite.de
Radiographics. 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6):1637-48
The emergence of heart transplantation as the ultimate treatment for end-stage heart failure has been accompanied by new diagnostic challenges. Computed tomography (CT) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of heart transplant recipients because many infectious, ischemic-hemorrhagic, and neoplastic complications are amenable to early detection with this modality. In the early postoperative period, CT is mostly indicated in the evaluation of infectious complications or cerebral symptoms. Later, CT is mostly performed for staging of infectious or neoplastic disease. Infectious complications include mediastinitis, soft-tissue inflammation, abscess formation, cerebral infarction, and aspergillosis. Complications related to ischemia or hemorrhage include allograft rejection and coronary allograft vasculopathy, the latter being the leading long-term cause of death in heart transplant recipients. CT is also indicated in malignant disease (eg, lymphoma, visceral carcinoma, skin tumors), which is the second most important long-term cause of death. Moreover, CT is helpful in identifying disease caused by immunosuppressive therapy (eg, leukoencephalopathy, osteoporosis, thoracic lipomatosis). CT has proved superior to both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of heart transplant recipients. It has become the diagnostic modality of choice for many transplant-related complications and may help improve postoperative treatment of affected patients.
Posted via PubMed for educational and discussion purposes only.
Link to PubMed Reference
Strahlenklinik, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. friedrich.knollmann@charite.de
Radiographics. 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6):1637-48
The emergence of heart transplantation as the ultimate treatment for end-stage heart failure has been accompanied by new diagnostic challenges. Computed tomography (CT) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of heart transplant recipients because many infectious, ischemic-hemorrhagic, and neoplastic complications are amenable to early detection with this modality. In the early postoperative period, CT is mostly indicated in the evaluation of infectious complications or cerebral symptoms. Later, CT is mostly performed for staging of infectious or neoplastic disease. Infectious complications include mediastinitis, soft-tissue inflammation, abscess formation, cerebral infarction, and aspergillosis. Complications related to ischemia or hemorrhage include allograft rejection and coronary allograft vasculopathy, the latter being the leading long-term cause of death in heart transplant recipients. CT is also indicated in malignant disease (eg, lymphoma, visceral carcinoma, skin tumors), which is the second most important long-term cause of death. Moreover, CT is helpful in identifying disease caused by immunosuppressive therapy (eg, leukoencephalopathy, osteoporosis, thoracic lipomatosis). CT has proved superior to both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of heart transplant recipients. It has become the diagnostic modality of choice for many transplant-related complications and may help improve postoperative treatment of affected patients.
Posted via PubMed for educational and discussion purposes only.
Link to PubMed Reference
Views: 0
© 2024 Created by radRounds Radiology Network.
Powered by
