[Variants of the hepatic artery: detection with color--coded sonography pre and post levovist injection].
OBJECTIVE
Detection of hepatic artery variants is of great clinical importance, for instance, pre liver transplantation, pre intraarterial chemotherapy or for measurement of the Doppler perfusion index. We therefore investigated how accurate variants of the hepatic artery can be detected using color-coded sonography pre and post Levovist injection.


METHODS
52 patients (21-78 years) were examined using color-coded sonography pre and post Levovist injection. After the sonographic examination, intraarterial digital subtraction angiography was performed and the results were compared.


RESULTS
Using angiography 14 variants of the hepatic artery were detected in 13 patients. The most common variant in 10 patients were hepatic arteries originating from the superior mesenteric artery. This could be detected with unenhanced color-coded sonography in 8 and with enhanced sonography in 9 patients. In one patient in addition, a hepatogastric trunk was noted by angiography, this was not recognized by sonography. In 2 patients with a hepatogastric trunk, this variant was sonographically seen after Levovist injection in both but with unenhanced sonography in only 1 patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Most variants of the arterial hepatic blood supply can be diagnosed using conventional color-coded sonography. In some cases enhanced sonography provides additional information, but even with these techniques all variations cannot be detected.
Strunk
H
H
Radiologische Universitätsklinik Bonn.
von Falkenhausen
M
M
Hofer
U
U
Remig
J
J
König
R
R
Wilhelm
K
K
Textor
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000378:metabolism*; D004301:Doppler Effect; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media; D011134:Polysaccharides; C059891:SHU 508