Cerebral manifestations in liver disease and transplantation

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doi:10.1016/j.crad.2007.08.006 Copyright © 2007 The Royal College of Radiologists Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pictorial Review

Cerebral manifestations in liver disease and transplantation

R.A. Dineena, , , N. Sibtainb, J.B. Karanib and R.K. Lenthalla aDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Nottingham, UKbDepartment of Radiology, King's College Hospital, London, UK Received 10 January 2007; revised 15 August 2007; accepted 17 August 2007. Available online 3 December 2007.

Patients with liver disease frequently develop cerebral complications. The brain may be affected directly by the pathological process or agent responsible for the liver disease, as a consequence of the metabolic and haemodynamic derangement caused by hepatic dysfunction, or as a complication of the treatment of liver disease. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful in the diagnosis and management of these complications, and advanced techniques such as diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are providing new insights into the underlying pathophysiological processes. We present a radiological overview of the cerebral manifestations of liver disease, categorized as acute presentations, chronic presentations, and conditions occurring in the context of liver transplantation.

Guarantor and correspondent: R.A. Dineen, Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. Tel.: +44 115 9249924x41029; fax: +44 115 8493311.

Clinical Radiology Volume 63, Issue 5, May 2008, Pages 586-599