title: Veins around the esophagus and the stomach: do their calibrations provide a diagnostic clue for portal hypertensive gastropathy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analyze whether calibrations of esophagogastric veins can be used as an indirect sign for the presence of portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG).
  
  
  METHODS
  The diameters of the left gastric, paraesophageal, and azygos veins were measured on magnetic resonance (MR) portograms of 57 patients with portal hypertension. The mean diameters of the above mentioned veins in patients with and without PHG were compared with Mann-Whitney U test. The diametral associations between the left gastric and azygos veins were assessed with Fisher's exact test in respect to the presence of PHG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with PHG, the mean diameters of the left gastric, paraesophageal, and azygos veins were not statistically different from those in patients without PHG (P>.05). There was no significant difference in the diametral relationship between the left gastric and azygos veins in patients with and without PHG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The calibrations of the veins around the esophagus and the stomach do not provide any clue about the presence of PHG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Talatpaşa Bulvari, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. ayse.erden@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Idilman
authors.forename: Ilhan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004947:Esophagus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013270:Stomach / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014680:Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult