title: Preaortic esophageal veins: CT appearance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the CT imaging features of preaortic esophageal veins in 10 patients with liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preaortic esophageal veins deriving from the paraesophageal varices course anterior to the descending aorta and drain into the hemiazygos vein. Preaortic esophageal veins are anatomically identical to extrinsic esophageal veins. The diameter of the veins we studied ranged from 1 to 8 mm (mean, 3.1 mm). Two preaortic esophageal veins were noted in each of two patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ibukuro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods