Pre- and postprandial alterations of portal venous flow: evaluation with single breath-hold three-dimensional half-Fourier fast spin-echo MR imaging and a selective inversion recovery tagging pulse.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of food intake on portal flow using unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
The study population included 29 healthy subjects. A selective inversion recovery tagging pulse was used on the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and splenic vein (SpV) to study the correlation of tagged blood in the portal vein (PV). MRI was performed before and 60-90 min after a meal.


RESULTS
The flow signal from the SMV increased in 97% of the subjects after the meal. Before the meal the portal flow was dominated by flow from the SpV in 59% of the subjects, while it was dominated by flow from the SMV in 76% of the subjects after the meal. The most common distribution pattern of the flow signal from the SpV before the meal was in the central part of the main PV (55%), while it was in the left side (45%) after the meal. The most common distribution pattern of the flow signal from the SMV was in the bilateral sides of the main PV both before and after the meal (62%).


CONCLUSIONS
This technique shows potential for evaluating pre- and postprandial alterations of flow from the SpV and SMV in the PV under physiological conditions.
Tsukuda
Toshinobu
T
Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. kudato@mx52.tiki.ne.jp
Ito
Katsuyoshi
K
Koike
Shinji
S
Sasaki
Katsumi
K
Shimizu
Ayame
A
Fujita
Takeshi
T
Miyazaki
Mitsue
M
Kanazawa
Hitoshi
H
Jo
Chisaki
C
Matsunaga
Naofumi
N
D000328:Adult; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology*