Angiography of hepatic vascular malformations associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the angiographic features of hepatic involvement in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), particularly the presence of portovenous shunts.


METHODS
We reviewed the angiographic findings of seven patients with HHT. The patients comprised three women and four men with a mean age of 51 years.


RESULTS
Intrahepatic telangiectasias were found in all seven patients and shunts between three vascular channels were found in six of seven patients. In the four patients who had portovenous shunts combined with arterioportal shunts, the portovenous shunts were large. Three patients had no portovenous shunts. Two of these patients had arteriovenous shunts, and one had no shunt. The mean age (69 years) of the patients with portovenous shunts was older than those without portovenous shunts (26 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatic vascular lesions in HHT are varied, ranging from telangiectasias to large shunts between three vascular channels. In an advanced stage of involvement, large portovenous shunts are present.
Hashimoto
Manabu
M
Department of Radiology, Akita University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita City, Akita 010-8543, Japan. hashi@med.akita-u.ac.jp
Tate
Etuko
E
Nishii
Toshiaki
T
Watarai
Jiro
J
Shioya
Takanobu
T
White
Robert I
RI
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D013683:Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome