Type of publication:
Systematic review
Author(s):
Wilmshurst, Peter; *Pearson, Matthew; Walsh, Kevin; Morrison, W Lindsay.
Citation:
Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine. 56(2):148-153, 2026 Jun 30.
Abstract:
Introduction: Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is claimed to be the investigation of choice for detecting a persistent foramen ovale (PFO) with almost 100% diagnostic accuracy. If true, TOE would detect all large/clinically significant PFOs.
Methods: Retrospective analysis to determine the sensitivity of TOE for detection of clinically significant PFOs. Patients were from a consecutive series of 150 patients who had transcatheter closure of a PFO following events attributed to paradoxical embolism (decompression sickness or stroke). In each patient, transthoracic echocardiogram with bubble contrast showed a clinically significant atrial right-to-left shunt. The data reported are from the sub-group of the 150 patients with a clinically significant PFO who also had a TOE performed in other hospitals.
Results: Twenty seven of 150 consecutive patients had a total of 31 TOEs performed at 22 United Kingdom regional cardiac centres. TOE failed to detect a PFO in 17 of the 27 patients. Four patients had a TOE on two separate occasions and in each case both of the TOEs failed to show a PFO. TOE gave a false negative test in 21 of 31 investigations (sensitivity 32%). The mean PFO diameter was 9.4 mm (median 9 mm, range 5-16 mm) in the 21 patients in whom balloon sizing was performed and 9.8 mm (median 10 mm, range 5-16 mm) in the 13 patients in whom balloon sizing was performed and a TOE failed to show a PFO.
Conclusions: These finding demonstrate that the precision of TOE for detecting a PFO in real world clinical practice is considerably lower than generally believed.Introduction: Liver transplantation has re-emerged as a potential therapeutic option for patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases after failure of standard treatments. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated survival outcomes, recurrence patterns, and prognostic factors associated with this approach. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. Electronic databases were searched for studies published between November 2015 and November 2025, that assessed liver transplantation in the context of unresectable colorectal liver metastases. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the pooled overall survival, disease-free survival and recurrence rates. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics.
Results: Twenty-three studies involving patients with unresectable liver-only colorectal metastases were included. Pooled overall survival after liver transplantation was 96.6% at 1 year (95% CI 93.9-99.4; I2 = 44.3%), 73.4% at 3 years (95% CI 62.9-83.9; I2 = 95.4%), and 49.4% at 5 years (95% CI 35.4-63.3; I2 = 90.5%). Ten-year overall survival was approximately 27%. The pooled recurrence rate was 63.5% (95% CI 52.5-76.8), and the type of recurrence was mainly extrahepatic, most commonly pulmonary. Disease-free survival was 64.1% (95% CI 47.5-80.7) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 95.6%). Biological risk factors, including carcinoembryonic antigen levels, metabolic tumor volume, and composite risk scores, consistently influenced survival outcomes.
Conclusions: In highly selected patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases, liver transplantation is associated with favorable long-term survival despite frequent recurrence. Outcomes appear to be primarily driven by tumor biology rather than tumor burden, supporting the cautious use within specialized centers under structured selection protocols.
DOI: 10.28920/dhm56.2.148-153
