Ischemic Colitis Proximal to Obstructing Colonic Carcinoma: Values of CT in Its Detection

PURPOSE: To determine the value of the CT scan in distinguishing an ischemic and a tumoral segment in coloniccarcinoma complicated by proximal bowel ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of twenty patients with ischemic colitis proximal to obstructing colonic carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively. The presence of anischemic segment proximal to colonic carcinoma were patho-logically confirmed in 12 patients, and the remaining eight patients showed typical radiologic findings of bowel ischemia on barium enema but on pathologic review showed only colonic carcinoma. CT scans were analyzed for the location, wall thickness, length, and enhancing pattern of both tumoral and ischemic segments in correlation with barium enema or surgico-pathologic results. Theresults of tumor staging shown on CT scan were compared with those of pathologic findings. RESULTS: On CT scan adistinction between ischemic and tumoral segments could be made in 15 patients (75%). The ischemic segments were contiguously proximal to the tumoral segment in 18 patients. In two patients, however, there was an intervening segment of normal bowel between the two segments and this was confirmed by pathology. Maximvm bowel wall thickness ranged from 0.8 to 4.5cm (mean, 2.0cm) in tumoral segments and from 0.6 to 1.5 cm (mean, 1.0cm) in ischemic segments (p<0.05). Tumoral segments were enhanced heterogeneously in 12 patients (60%) and homogeneously in the remaining eight, while ischemic segments were enhanced homogeneously in 14 patients (70%) and heterogeneously insix. Peripheral rim enhancement was seen only in the ischemic segments of four patients (20%). Comparing TNM tumorstaging of the CT scan with that of pathology, CT scan overstaged in two patients (10%) and understaged in one(5%). CONCLUSION: CT is a valuable tool for distinguishing an ischemic from a tumoral segment in patients with ischemic colitis proximal to colonic carcinoma. An understanding of this pathologic entity could reduce the possibility of over or understaging in cases of colonic carcinoma.

Intrahepatic Branching Patterns of the Right Hepatic Artery: Analysis of Anteroposterior and Oblique Views of the Hepatic Arteriography with the Help of CT Scan

PURPOSE: With the technical advancement in arterial embolization and subsegmental resection of liver neoplasm, emphasis has been on more detailed knowledge of normal arterial anatomy and its variation. We analysed the patterns of intrahepatic branches of right hepatic artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed intrahepatic branching patterns of right hepatic artery in 165 cases. All cases had a single right hepatic artery which could be traced up to tertiary branches, and also performed rapid drip infusion CT scan, hepatic arteriography with antero-posterior and oblique views, superior mesenteric arteriorgraphy and indirect portography. RESULTS: lntrahepatic branching patterns of the right hepatic artery had eight types of variation. The most common intrahepatic branching pattern was type I: 107(64.5%) which represented 5, 8th branch emerging from the anterior segmental artery and 6, 7th branch from the posterior segmental artery. Type VII :26(15.8%) was the next common type which represented 6th branch emerging first from the posterior segmental artery and 7th branch emerging secondly from the posterior segmental artery. Type VII, VI, III were branched from the posterior segmental artery. Type IV, II, V were branched from the anterior segmental artery. CONCLUSION: These result could be helpful to the planning of treatment, such as hepatic subsegmentectomy or transarterial embolization of the hepatic neoplasm.

Intrahepatic Branching Patterns of the Right Hepatic Artery: Analysis of Anteroposterior and Oblique Views of the Hepatic Arteriography with the Help of CT Scan

PURPOSE: With the technical advancement in arterial embolization and subsegmental resection of liver neoplasm, emphasis has been on more detailed knowledge of normal arterial anatomy and its variation. We analysed the patterns of intrahepatic branches of right hepatic artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed intrahepatic branching patterns of right hepatic artery in 165 cases. All cases had a single right hepatic artery which could be traced up to tertiary branches, and also performed rapid drip infusion CT scan, hepatic arteriography with antero-posterior and oblique views, superior mesenteric arteriorgraphy and indirect portography. RESULTS: lntrahepatic branching patterns of the right hepatic artery had eight types of variation. The most common intrahepatic branching pattern was type I: 107(64.5%) which represented 5, 8th branch emerging from the anterior segmental artery and 6, 7th branch from the posterior segmental artery. Type VII :26(15.8%) was the next common type which represented 6th branch emerging first from the posterior segmental artery and 7th branch emerging secondly from the posterior segmental artery. Type VII, VI, III were branched from the posterior segmental artery. Type IV, II, V were branched from the anterior segmental artery. CONCLUSION: These result could be helpful to the planning of treatment, such as hepatic subsegmentectomy or transarterial embolization of the hepatic neoplasm.