Veins of Retzius at CT during arterial portography: anatomy and clinical importance.
OBJECTIVE
To classify the veins of Retzius demonstrated at computed tomography (CT) during arterial portography (CTAP) on the basis of anatomic location and to evaluate the relationship between the frequency of CT visualization and associated disease.


METHODS
The authors reviewed axial CTAP scans from 130 patients. Patients were classified into one of two groups: patients with liver cirrhosis (group 1 [n = 81]) and patients without liver cirrhosis (group 2 [n = 49]).


RESULTS
The pathways of the veins of Retzius were classified as follows: (a) The ileocolic vein drained into the inferior vena cava (IVC) or the right renal vein through the right gonadal vein (n = 61); (b) the pancreaticoduodenal vein drained into the IVC (n = 8); (c) the proximal branches of the superior mesenteric vein drained into the left gonadal vein (n = 6); and (d) the ileocolic vein drained directly into the IVC (n = 5). The veins of Retzius were demonstrated in 41 (51%) of the 81 patients in group 1 and 26 (53%) of the 49 patients in group 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The veins of Retzius were demonstrated at CTAP in approximately 50% of patients with and 50% of patients without liver cirrhosis.
Ibukuro
K
K
Department of Radiology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Tsukiyama
T
T
Mori
K
K
Inoue
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011172:Portography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*