Early recognition of hepatic portal vein gas on CT with appropriate surgical intervention improves patient survival.
Historically, hepatic portal vein gas has been linked with a dismal prognosis. However, in the last 3 decades, identification of hepatic portal vein gas has undergone a transition from late recognition on roentgenograms to earlier identification on computed tomography scan. The 5 patients in this case series were found to harbor hepatic portal vein gas identified using computed tomography scan. Eighty percent of the patients had concomitant pathology identified by computed tomography, felt to be the cause of the hepatic portal vein gas. All patients were taken to the operating room for exploration and resection of the offending pathology. All 5 patients survived. We suggest that early recognition using computed tomography scan, with appropriate operative intervention, improves the chance for patient survival when hepatic portal vein gas is identified.
Brandon
T
Fairview Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health Care System, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Bogard
B
ReMine
S
Urban
L