OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to evaluate whether CT scans could be used to differentiate hepatic venoocclusive disease from hepatic graft-versus-host disease in patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 18 patients (eight women, 10 men; mean age, 42.4 years) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with biopsy-proven hepatic venoocclusive disease (n = 5), hepatic graft-versus-host disease (n = 6), or both (n = 7). Two radiologists reviewed abdominal and pelvic CT scans for hepatomegaly (> 18 cm), splenomegaly (> 13 cm), size of main portal and right hepatic veins, presence of periportal edema, gallbladder wall edema, hydropic gallbladder, ascites, and small-bowel wall thickening. CT and histopathology findings were correlated using analysis of variance and Fisher-Free -man-Holton tests.
RESULTS: Ascites and periportal edema were present in all five patients with venoocclusive disease, but of six patients with graft-versus-host disease, ascites was seen in two (p < 0.05) and periportal edema in only one (/> < 0.05). Small-bowel wall thickening was encountered in five patients with graft-versus-host disease and in none with venoocclusive disease (p < 0.05). The right hepatic vein diameter in patients with venoocclusive disease (mean, 0.27 cm) was significantly smaller than the right hepatic vein diameter in patients with graft-versus-host disease (mean, 0.87 cm; p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: In patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, CT findings of periportal edema, ascites, and a narrow right hepatic vein suggest venoocclusive disease rather than graft-versus-host disease. Small-bowel wall thickening suggests graft-versus-host disease.