Imaging findings in intrahepatic portal venous shunts

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to discover and describe the imagining findings of intrahepatic portal venous shunts. In our study, we attempted to discover and describe the imagining findings of intrahepatic portal venous shunts in 22 patients [9 men and 13 women]. The average age of the patients was 71.2 years [range, 43-90 years]. Each patient underwent CT, MRI, and sonography. Images were reviewed and intrahepatic portal venous shunts were identified. This yielded 25 intrahepatic portal venous shunts in 22 patients. Twenty-four [96%] of 25 intrahepatic portal venous shunts were located between a portal vein branch and a hepatic vein .One of 25 communicated with the inferior vena cava. Nineteen patients had a solitary intrahepatic portal venous shunt, 15 in the left lobe and 4 in the right lobe. Three patients had two intrahepatic portal venous shunts [3/22, 13.6%] Two had one in each lobe and one had two in the left lobe. Intrahepatic portal venous shunts are common,. They may appear in patients with healthy livers and in patients with portal hypertension. Most shunts in our series were in the left lobe and had aneurysmal communication between the portal and hepatic veins. CT, MRI and Color Doppler ultrasonography are capable of showing and differentiating different types of hepatic portal venous shunts