Unusual Radiotracer Deposition to the Forearm After Intrahepatic Injection of 99mTc-Macroaggregated Albumin Using a Transradial Approach.

Arterial mapping and 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) hepatic perfusion imaging are routinely performed before 90Y radioembolization of hepatic tumors. These procedures serve multiple purposes, including an anatomical survey of hepatic arterial anatomy, interrogating expected microsphere distribution to avoid nontargeted embolization during therapy, and evaluating for possible hepatopulmonary shunting. We present a case where 99mTc-MAA planar images revealed unexpected soft tissue uptake within the left forearm, an unexpected complication that may result from residual 99mTc-MAA in the catheter being expelled as the catheter is removed, which is particularly important to avoid during the 90Y radioembolization procedure given the risk for associated radionecrosis.

Impact of immunosuppression minimization and withdrawal in long-term hepatitis C virus liver transplant recipients.

Aim: To investigate the effects of different immunosuppressive regimens and avoidance on fibrosis progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver transplant (LT) recipients.

Methods: We retrospectively compared the liver biopsies of well-matched HCV LT recipients under calcineurin inhibitors (CNI group, n = 21) and mycophenolate (MMF group, n = 15) monotherapy, with those patients who successfully withdrawn immunosuppression (IS) therapy from at least 3 years (TOL group, n = 10). To perform the well-matched analysis, all HCV transplanted patients from December 1993 were screened.

Extracellular Matrix Scaffold Technology for Bioartificial Pancreas Engineering: State of the Art and Future Challenges.

Emergent technologies in regenerative medicine may soon overcome the limitations of conventional diabetes therapies. Collaborative efforts across the subfields of stem cell technology, islet encapsulation, and biomaterial carriers seek to produce a bioengineered pancreas capable of restoring endocrine function in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. These technologies rely on a robust understanding of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the supportive 3-dimensional network of proteins necessary for cellular attachment, proliferation, and differentiation.