Clinical Significance of Retrograde Inferior Vena Cava and Hepatic Vein Opacification during Contrast Enhanced Tri-Phasic CT Abdomen Acquired as Part of F-18 FDG PET CT Scan - Learning Point For Nuclear Medicine Physicians: A Case Report and Literature Survey.

Hepatic veins and inferior vena cava are opacified during the delayed venous phase on triphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen scan. However, their early opacification/visualization in the arterial phase is usually due to retrograde flow of intravenous contrast from the right atrium in patients with right-sided heart failure or right ventricular dysfunction. Awareness and recognition of this phenomenon is important for nuclear medicine physicians reporting F18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET CT) scan with diagnostic CECT.