James E. Everhart,, Manuel Lombardero, John R. Lake, Russell H. Wiesner, Rowen K. Zetterman, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 30 December 2003 – Obesity is a concern in the long‐term management of patients following liver transplantation, yet the risk of obesity and the factors that influence its development have not been well defined. We evaluated posttransplantation weight change among a cohort of 774 adults who had their height and weight recorded before liver transplantation at three major centers. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 kg/m2.

Alighieri Mazziotti, Gian Luca Grazi, Andrea Gardini, Matteo Cescon, Filippo Pierangeli, Giorgio Ercolani, Elio Jovine, Antonino Cavallari – 30 December 2003 – Percutaneous treatments, such as ethanol injection and radiofrequency, have been recently proposed for the treatment of liver metastases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of these treatments in a series of 8 patients who subsequently underwent liver resection. These patients had been treated with percutaneous methods between December 1995 and May 1997.

David J. Plevak, – 30 December 2003

Rui Tato Marinho, Fernando Ramalho, José Velosa – 30 December 2003

Hiroto Egawa,, Yukihiro Inomata, Shingo Nakayama, Akira Matsui, Hirohiko Yamabe, Shinji Uemoto, Katsuhiro Asonuma, Koichi Tanaka – 30 December 2003 – Neonatal disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, including fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), is lethal, and the patients rarely have a chance for liver transplantation because of the rapid development of the disease. We describe of a case of FHF secondary to HSV infection in a neonate successfully treated by aggressive intensive care followed by liver transplantation.

Mario G. Pessoa, Norah A. Terrault, Linda D. Ferrell, Jill Detmer, Janice Kolberg, Mark L. Collins, Maurene Viele, John R. Lake, John P. Roberts, Nancy L. Ascher, Teresa L. Wright, – 30 December 2003 – This study was designed to determine the cause of posttransplantation hepatitis in patients undergoing transplantation for liver disease of nonviral cause; the role of acquired hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis G virus (HGV) in posttransplantation hepatitis; and the course of posttransplantation hepatitis of unknown cause.

Rubén Bonilla Guerrero, Kenneth P. Batts, Jeffrey J. Germer, Rogelio G. Perez, Russell H. Wiesner, David H. Persing – 30 December 2003 – Currently, one of the major indications for liver transplantation is infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Many studies have suggested that recurrent infection with HCV is universal after transplantation. Fastidious techniques, such as reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), have proved to be highly sensitive for detecting HCV RNA in serum and in fresh‐frozen and formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) liver tissue.

Moni Stein, Steven M. Rudich, Jonathan L. Riegler, Richard V. Perez, Daniel P. Link, John P. McVicar – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic artery thrombosis remains one of the most serious complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. Sepsis, biliary leakage and strictures, and retransplantation are often the result of this devastating complication. Because retransplantation or reoperation is sometimes not possible or advisable, other means of reestablishing hepatic artery continuity are desirable.

William T. Merritt – 30 December 2003

William L. Lanier – 30 December 2003