The differential diagnosis for hemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and hepatocellular adenoma may be difficult. Reliable diagnosis is mandatory for the decision of whether to apply surgery or observation. Experience with long-term observation in nonoperated patients with hemangioma and FNH is limited. A group of 437 patients from a single institution were analyzed with regard to a diagnostic algorithm, the indications for surgery, and observation. There were 238 hemangiomas, 150 cases of FNH, 44 adenomas, and 5 mixed tumors. Of the 437 patients, 173 underwent surgery; 103 with hemangioma and 54 with FNH were observed at our own institution, whereas 117 patients underwent follow-up elsewhere or were lost. Among the operated patients with confirmed histology, a good diagnostic yield was found for a combination of ultrasonography (US), contrast (bolus)-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and labeled red blood cell (RBC) scanning: sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) 100%, negative predictive value (NPV) 81.8%, and accuracy 91.3%. For FNH and combination of US and CT plus cholescintigraphy showed a sensitivity 82.1%, specificity 97.1%, PPV 95.8%, NPV 84.6%, and accuracy 90.3%. Surgical mortality was 0.6%. Observation of patients with hemangioma and FNH for a median of 32 months revealed no increase in tumor size in 80% and a decrease in fewer than 7%. There was no tumor rupture and no evidence of malignant transformation. We concluded that liver hemangioma and FNH can be differentiated from adenoma with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy by labeled RBC scanning and cholescintigraphy in combination with US and contrast-enhanced CT. In the case of symptoms or an equivocal diagnosis with respect to adenoma or hepatocellular carcinoma, surgery can be performed with very low risk. Because in asymptomatic patients with observed hemangioma or FNH no increase of tumor size can be expected for many years, the indications for surgery must be carefully evaluated.

The clinical experience with 11 patients undergoing ex situ operation of the liver (nine operations) or surgery on an in situ hypothermic perfused liver after vascular isolation (three operations) is described. These methods have been confined to situations and tumour stages otherwise deemed untreatable, or to situations where resection would not have been sufficiently radical. In one patient the ex situ approach avoided the need to undertake liver grafting for a benign tumour. To date, hepatocellular tumours and metastases not compromising global hepatic function or causing cholestasis are considered to be suitable conditions; cholestasis appears to be highly detrimental for the postoperative course after an ex situ procedure. Elaboration of methods for better grading of pre-existing liver damage and of its prognostic significance is essential. The assessment of the final therapeutic value of the described procedure requires further experience.

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Intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) is known to be associated with severe symptoms and a particularly poor prognosis. Nonsurgical methods have failed to change this situation up to now. Surgical therapy, so far, is the only chance for effective treatment, but it has had limited success. The relative infrequency of this tumor does not allow extensive statistics and limits our present knowledge. In this contribution the outcome of 50 patients who underwent liver resection or liver transplantation in our institution is reported. Their courses have been reevaluated according to pathohistologic classification and TNM tumor staging. The median survival rates were 12.8 months in the group of patients after liver resection (n = 32) and 5.0 months after liver transplantation (n = 18). Liver transplantation, however, was performed only in patients with unresectable tumors. The longest survival after transplantation was 25 months; after resection four patients survived more than 5 years. In the resection group and the transplantation group survival rates correlated with tumor size and tumor stages according to TNM, although the differences were not statistically significant. Liver resection thus has its place in resectable situations. Liver transplantation for unresectable lesions of this tumor type--always deemed critically in the past--seems not to be indicated with our present stage of knowledge, unless adjuvant protocols appear promising and are tested.

A novel quantitative liver function test is described which is based on monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation after lidocaine bolus injection. Following the administration of small single doses of lidocaine hydrochloride (l mg/kg), monoethylglycinexylidide serum concentration-time curves were determined by a novel highly sensitive fluorescence Polarisation immunoassay (FPIA) in healthy volunteers, liver donors and patients with liver cirrhosis. The FPIA allowed rapid and reliable monoethylglycinexylidide determinations in serum and urine (between-days coefficient of Variation: < 10.3%, recovery: 80-113%). Monoethylglyci-1 Preliminary results of this study were presented at the Third Meeting of the German Association för the Study of the Liver in

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Objective: Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) are characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates partly resembling secondary lymphoid follicles in the thyroid. CXCR5 and its ligand CXCL13 regulate compartmentalization of B-and T-cells in secondary lymphoid organs. The aim of the study was to elucidate the role of this chemokine receptor -ligand pair in thyroid autoimmunity. Methods: Peripheral blood and thyroid-derived lymphocyte subpopulations were examined by flow cytometry for CXCR5. CXCR5 and CXCL13 cDNA were quantified in thyroid tissues by real-time RT-PCR. Results: We found no differences between the percentages of peripheral blood CXCR5þ T-and B-cells in GD patients (n ¼ 10) and healthy controls (n ¼ 10). In GD patients, the number of memory CD4 þ cells expressing CXCR5 which are functionally characterized as follicular B helper T-cells is higher in thyroidderived (18^3%) compared with peripheral blood T-lymphocytes (8^2%). The highest CXCL13 mRNA levels were found in HT (n ¼ 2, 86.1^1.2 zmol (10 221 mol) cDNA/PCR) followed by GD tissues (n ¼ 16, 9.6^3.5). Only low amounts were determined in thyroid autonomy (TA) (n ¼ 11) thyroid tissues, irrespective of whether the autonomous nodule (0.5^0.1) or the surrounding normal tissue (1.8^0.7) had been analyzed. The same differences were found for CXCR5 (HT: 179.1^6.8; GD: 17.4^10.6; TA nodule : 0.8^0.5; TA normal : 4.4^3.6). In GD, there is a correlation between CXCL13 and CXCR5 mRNA levels and the number of focal lymphocytic infiltrates and germinal centers as well as anti-thyroperoxidase but not anti-TSH receptor autoantibodies. Conclusions: CXCR5 and CXCL13 play an essential role in maintaining B-and T-cells in lymphocytic infiltrates and ectopic follicles in thyroid tissue from patients affected by autoimmunity. 150 225-234 European Journal of Endocrinology

The cardioplegic HTK-solution (Bretschneider) has not been used in human liver transplantation as yet. Herein the first results obtained from 14 patients with HTK-preserved liver grafts are presented. The suitability of HTK-solution could be shown. All grafts functioned primarily except one, where initial non-function was obviously due to donor reasons. The early postoperative peak values of transaminases as a sign of ischemic damage were average and similar to the values of other flushout solutions. Using HTK primary function could be achieved even in livers prospectively assessed as only of fair quality, and livers with poor donor function tests (MegX) functioned from the beginning. HTK-solution therefore seems to allow widening of the acceptance criteria for donor livers. It was not the aim of this trial to extend cold ischemic time, but 3 livers with 11 h and 12 h 25 showed immediate function. How far cold ischemic time can be extended is a still open question. All livers were rapidly cooled and homogeneously flushed out due to the low viscosity of HTK-solution. All livers had a soft consistency after perfusion indicating a low degree of cell edema. HTK therefore is an effective solution for liver preservation.