Federico G. Villamil – 30 December 2003 – 1Patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatitis B without effective prophylaxis have a high risk for recurrent infection and severe graft damage, leading to death or re‐OLT.2Long‐term prophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) significantly reduces the risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence and increases survival.

Pierre‐Alain Clavien, Markus Selzner – 30 December 2003

Glenn A. Krinsky, Vivian S. Lee, Neil D. Theise, Jeffrey C. Weinreb, Glyn R. Morgan, Thomas Diflo, Devon John, Lewis W. Teperman – 30 December 2003 – The sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients who undergo transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis is not known. We prospectively evaluated 24 patients with known HCC who underwent MRI and subsequent transplantation within 60 days (mean, 20 days). Using a phased‐array coil at 1.5T, breath‐hold turbo STIR and T2‐weighted MR images were performed.

Bjørn Brandsæter, Krister Höckerstedt, Styrbjörn Friman, Bo‐Göran Ericzon, Preben Kirkegaard, Helena Isoniemi, Michael Olausson, Ulrika Broome, Lars Schmidt, Aksel Foss, Kristian Bjøro – 30 December 2003 – Fulminant hepatic failure is a common indication for liver transplantation. Outcomes of patients listed for a highly urgent liver transplantation have been studied, with special emphasis on etiology of the liver disease, clinical condition, and ABO blood type. Data have been collected from the Nordic Liver Transplantation Registry.

Andrew J. Muir, Linda L. Sanders, Michael A. Heneghan, Paul C. Kuo, William E. Wilkinson, Dawn Provenzale – 30 December 2003 – With the recent transition of the liver transplant allocation system to the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease, a major change is its reliance entirely on objective criteria. In previous reports, potential donor families and members of the transplant community have questioned the fairness of the subjective nature of previous systems.

Richard B. Freeman – 30 December 2003

Ryuta Nishitai, Timothy B. Plummer, Jeffrey L. Platt – 30 December 2003

Ernesto P. Molmenti, Goran B. Klintmalm – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocellular carcinoma is an epithelial tumor derived from hepatocytes that accounts for more than 80% of all primary hepatic tumors. The severity of the underlying disease is almost always the key factor in deciding whether to consider liver resection or transplantation as its treatment.

M. Susan Mandell, Dennis Lezotte, Igal Kam, Stacy Zamudio – 30 December 2003 – Part 1 of our report, presented in the same issue of the Journal, shows that immediate postoperative extubation and direct transfer to the surgical ward is safe and reduces reliance on the intensive care unit in most liver transplant recipients. However, there is no method to preoperatively predict which patients will need ventilatory support after surgery.

Rosmawati Mohamed, Jonathan W. Freeman, Peter J. Guest, Michael K. Davies, James M. Neuberger – 30 December 2003 – Abnormal diffusing capacity is the commonest pulmonary dysfunction in liver transplant candidates, but severe hypoxemia secondary to hepatopulmonary syndrome and significant pulmonary hypertension are pulmonary vascular manifestations of cirrhosis that may affect the perioperative course. We prospectively assessed the extent of pulmonary dysfunction in patients referred for liver transplantation. A total of 57 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease were evaluated.