Summary Background Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective for Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) refractory to standard treatment and is being studied in other diseases. Aim To evaluate donor characteristics, procedures and clinical outcomes of FMT. Methods We systematically reviewed FMT studies published up to 29 August 2018 using MEDLINE (R) and EMBASE and identified clinical studies with FMT donor information. We reported data on donor characteristics, screening criteria, administration, clinical outcomes and adverse events. Results Among 5267 reports, 239 full‐text articles were screened and 168 articles were included. FMT was performed commonly for CDI (n = 108) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (n = 31). We reported characteristics of 1513 donors [58% male; mean age, 34.3 years; mean body mass index, 21.6]. Donors in Asia were younger than the West (mean age 30.7 vs 32.9, P = 0.00075). Less than 50% of studies screened donors for transmittable pathogens. Final cure rate for CDI was 95.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.9%‐97.1%) and final remission rates for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were 39.6% (95% CI, 25.4%‐54.6%) and 47.5% (95% CI, 29.4%‐65.8%), respectively. Cure rates in CDI and final remission rates for CD and UC were comparable across all routes of FMT administration. Overall adverse event incidence was <1%, mostly GI‐related. Adverse event rates did not differ significantly between routes of FMT administration or indication. Conclusions In a systematic review assessing donor characteristics and FMT efficacy, we observed heterogeneity in donor selection, application and outcomes of FMT. These data can facilitate standardisation of FMT protocols for various diseases.

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WHAT IS KNOWNSarcopenia is associated with increased mortality in patients with cirrhosisThe impact of sarcopenia in patients undergoing TIPSS insertion for refractory ascites is unknown WHAT IS NEW Sarcopenia is not associated with worse outcome after TIPSS insertion for refractory ascites Sarcopenia is not associated with increased incidence of encephalopathy following TIPSS insertion for refractory ascites Insertion of TIPSS in patients with refractory ascites might lead to improvement in muscle mass ABSTRACT ObjectivesThe impact of sarcopenia in patients undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS) insertion for refractory ascites is unknown. MethodsAll adult patients who underwent TIPSS insertion for refractory ascites between 2010 and 2018 were included. Skeletal muscle index at L3 was used to determine sarcopenia status. Results107 patients were followed for 14.2 months. Sarcopenia was present in 57% of patients. No patient had history of pre-TIPSS hepatic encephalopathy (HE). De novo HE occurred in 30% of patients. On MVA, only platelet count and L3-SMI predicted de novo HE. On MVA, age and MELD-Na predicted mortality whereas L3-SMI and sarcopenia did not. In patients with repeat imaging, L3-SMI improved significantly post-TIPSS compared to baseline. ConclusionsSarcopenia should not be considered as a contra-indication to TIPSS insertion in refractory ascites as it is not associated with de novo HE or increased mortality.

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in childhood. The most common clinical presentation of this tumour is abdominal mass. However, affected children may have various clinical presentations as a result of disseminated metastatic disease or associated paraneoplastic syndromes at the time of diagnosis. In this article we have outlined the imaging findings in seven patients with "extra-abdominal" presentation of neuroblastoma and the pitfalls in making the correct diagnosis. The purpose of this pictorial review is to alert the general radiologist to the possible presentations of this common childhood malignancy to derive early detection and diagnosis.