Portal venography with 64-slice MDCT in evaluation of the anatomic distribution of compensatory circulation resulting from posthepatitic cirrhosis

This study sought to determine the value of portal venography with 64-slice MDCT in the evaluation of compensatory circulation resulting from decompensated posthepatitic cirrhosis (PHC), and in the clarification of its anatomic distribution. Thirty-six patients with clinically confirmed compensatory circulations resulting from PHC were enrolled in this study. They underwent thoracicoabdominal triphasic enhancement CT scans with 64-slice MDCT. The data of the portal venous phase acquired were used for obtaining CT-MIP (maximum intensity projection) images of portosystematic collaterals such as gastric fundic and esophageal varices, paraumbilical veins, spleno-renal shunts, and their inflowing and outflowing vessels. On CT-MIP portography, gastric fundic varices were shown in 35 cases (97%) and esophageal varices in 30 cases (83%). The left gastric vein was the common inflowing vessel of the varices in 34 cases (94%); it was mainly originated from splenic vein in 24 cases (67%). With regard to the outflowing vessels, they were commonly azygos vein in 30 cases (83%). As for paraumbilical veins in 7 cases (19%), the inflowing vessel was the left branch of portal vein, and the outflowing vesse was the superficial epigastric vein. Cavernous transformation of the portal vein was seen in 5 cases (14%) and cavernous transformation of splenic vein was seen in 16 cases (44%). CT-MIP venography with 64-row MDCT could be considered as an effective and noninvasive method for detecting the compensatory circulation resulting from decompensated PHC.