Evaluation of the splenic vein diameter and longitudinal size of the spleen in patients with Gamna-Gandy bodies.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the splenic vein diameter and longitudinal size of the spleen in patients with portal hypertension in whom Gamna-Gandy bodies were present in their spleen with those of cirrhotic patients without Gamna-Gandy bodies and a control group.


METHODS
Between July 2001 and February 2006, patients in whom Gamna-Gandy bodies were detected in their spleen and the number of patients who had been undergone magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the diagnosis of chronic liver disease were determined. A total of 43 cases with Gamna-Gandy bodies were noted. Out of these patients, a case of lymphoma was excluded from the study. Additional 3 cases with splenic vein thrombosis were not included in statistical analysis. Accordingly, the splenic vein diameter and longitudinal size of the spleen in 39 patients (group 1: 12 women, 27 men; mean age, 38.5 years) with portal hypertension in whom Gamna-Gandy bodies were detected in their spleen on T1-weighted gradient-echo MR images between July 2001 and February 2006 were measured. The values obtained were compared with those of 29 cirrhotic patients without Gamna-Gandy bodies (group 2: 14 women, 15 men, mean age 48.2 years) and control group (group 3: 13 women, 18 men, mean age 46.8 years). The differences between the groups were analyzed with ANOVA and student-t test.


RESULTS
Gamna-Gandy bodies were detected in 6.3% (42/670) of patients with chronic liver disease. The mean longitudinal axis of the spleen (20.2+/-4.2 cm) in group 1 was significantly greater (p<0.001) than in group 2 (14.4+/-3.9 cm). The mean splenic vein diameter was significantly larger in group 1 (14.3+/-4.0 mm) than those in groups 2 and 3 (11.2+/-3.2 mm and 7.8+/-1.4 mm, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The splenic vein diameter and longitudinal size of the spleen in portal hypertensive patients with Gamna- Gandy bodies are significantly larger than that of cirrhotic patients without Gamna-Gandy bodies and that of control group.
Unsal
Nuray Haliloğlu
NH
Department of Radiology, Ankara University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. nurayunsal2@hotmail.com
Erden
Ayşe
A
Erden
Ilhan
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D013158:Splenic Diseases; D013162:Splenic Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology*