title: Causes and consequences of systemic venous hypertension.
abstract: The causes of systemic venous hypertension (SVHT) include cardiac- and circulatory-related factors, whereas its consequences include the congestion of hepatic, splanchnic, and peripheral circulations, which contribute significantly to the clinical congestive heart failure syndrome. Based on a disequilibrium in hydrostatic and oncotic pressures, the increased filtration and formation of interstitial fluid at these sites with an accompanying increase in lymph flow mandates an increment in lymphatic drainage to protect against such congestion and the appearance of edema and ascites. However, lymph flow via the thoracic duct into systemic veins is opposed by elevations in central venous pressure. Various management strategies have the potential to prevent and/or correct SVHT. The case of a 54-year-old man with a dilated cardiomyopathy who presented with decompensated biventricular failure, expressed as anasarca and ascites, is used to illustrate the importance of SVHT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA.
authors.forename: Basil M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.forename: Sheharyar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Ayhan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zia
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mansbach
authors.forename: W Chapman
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Karl T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged