Vt Herynek1, Monika Dezortov1,
Dita Wagnerov1, Irena Hejlov2,
1MR-unit, Department of
Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical &
Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Hepatogastroenterology
Department, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech
Republic
Hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver disease manifests itself by hyperintense (T1-weighted images) or hypointense (T2-weighted images) signals in the basal ganglia due to deposition of paramagnetic ions. This process is reversible by liver transplantation. These changes can be assessed by relaxometry. We collected a unique group of 37 patients transplanted 8-15 years ago, which was compared to a group of patients before liver transplantation and a group of patients measured within two years after. Relaxometry revealed that recovery in the basal ganglia is permanent and no recurrence of paramagnetic ions was observed even after 15 years.