Usefulness of magnetic resonance angiography for the evaluation of varices at hepaticojejunostomy after liver transplantation

A 7-year-old Japanese girl who had undergone living-donor liver transplantation (LT) at the age of 10 months for decompensated liver cirrhosis caused by biliary atresia presented with recurrent episodes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) with anemia. Over the following 6 years, she experienced five episodes of GIB requiring hospitalization. Subsequent evaluations including repeat esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy (CS), contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and Meckel’s scan all failed to reveal a bleeding source. However, varices at the site of hepaticojejunostomy were detected on abdominal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) at the age of 7 years. MRA might be more helpful than contrast-enhanced CT for identifying such bleeding.