This is the first book to focus entirely on the role of pathology in cardiac transplantation, linked to the clinical perspective through clinical¿pathological correlation, multidisciplinary team working, and collaborative research. It provides a scientific framework with up-to-date pathological protocols and classification schemes and guides the reader through the chronological phases of the transplant process in a step-by-step approach. Topics include end-stage heart failure with pathologies encountered in the native heart, current issues surrounding donor selection, the multiple faces of rejection pathology correlated with clinical management and immunology, other post-transplant complications, details of pediatric and combined heart/other organ transplantation, and a useful practical appendix. Many high-quality images and illustrative cases are presented, along with learning points and ample references.Transplantation medicine today is continuously changing as collaborative research into novel diagnostic techniques and immunosuppressive therapies translates into improved recipient management and survival. This book is aimed at practicing transplant pathologists and specialist trainees. It will also appeal to general pathologists and to physicians and surgeons involved in cardiac transplantation who need to understand the role of pathology in the clinical management of transplant recipients.

Offers a comparative clinical-pathological diagnostic approach to each phase of the cardiac transplant process

Introduction.- Cardiac transplantation and the contribution of pathology.- Prior to cardiac transplantation.- Advanced end-stage heart failure: epidemiology and management.- Mechanical circulatory support in end-stage heart failure: bridge to transplantation and destination therapy.- Clinical indications for heart transplantation.- Pathologies encountered in explanted native hearts.- Pre-transplant endomyocardial biopsy: when and why.- Heart donation and peritransplant pathologies.- Donor selection criteria: clinical and pathological insights.- Donor organ harvesting and preservation.- Perioperative damage to the graft.- Post-cardiac transplantation: the multiple faces of rejection.- Clinical management of transplant recipients.- Practical immunology for pathologists.- Pathology of acute cellular rejection.- Pathology of antibody mediated rejection.- Mixed rejection.- Pathological non rejection findings in the endomyocardial biopsy.- Non-invasive tools for monitoring allograft rejection: state of the art.- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy.- Post-cardiac transplantation: complications other than rejection.- Infections.- Tumours.- Chronic kidney disease after heart transplantation: risk factors, clinics and histopathology.- Special issues in cardiac transplantation.- Combined heart transplant.- The autopsy in heart transplantation.- Examining a heart with implantable mechanical circulatory support systems.