Anatomical variations of the coeliac trunk and the mesenteric arteries evaluated with 64-row CT angiography.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy of 64-row computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the study of vascular anatomy by assessing the incidence of anatomical variations of the origin of the coeliac trunk, mesenteric arteries and collateral branches.


METHODS
Sixty patients were evaluated with 64-row CTA (VCT, General Electric Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with a collimation of 0.625 mm after the injection of iodinated nonionic contrast material (4 ml/s). Exclusion criteria were the presence of any pathological condition likely to affect normal vascular anatomy.


RESULTS
The coeliac trunk had a normal trifurcation in 56.7% of cases. The common hepatic artery was normal in 60% of patients. The inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries were either absent or not assessable in 8.3% of cases and there was a double trunk in 5%, a common trunk in 83.3% and a single vessel in 3.3%. The number of jejunal and ileal arteries ranged from a minimum of six to a maximum of 13 (mean value 8.7+/-1.34). The Riolan arcade was assessable in 31.7% and developed in 68.4% of these.


CONCLUSIONS
The 64-row CTA enables visualisation of small vessels and accessory arteries that are difficult to identify with other techniques. The technique's high sensitivity allowed us to observe that the prevalence of vascular abnormalities is higher than that reported in the literature.
Ferrari
R
R
Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Polo Pontino, I.C.O.T. Via Franco Faggiana 34, I-04100, Latina, and St. Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
De Cecco
C N
CN
Iafrate
F
F
Paolantonio
P
P
Rengo
M
M
Laghi
A
A
D000005:Abdomen / Q000098:blood supply*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D002445:Celiac Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004386:Duodenum / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000098:blood supply; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007583:Jejunum / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000098:blood supply; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media