title: Congenital absence of the portal vein in a middle-aged man.
abstract: Congenital absence of the portal vein with systemic diversion of mesenteric blood is extremely rare. We report a case of a congenital absence of the portal vein, accidentally discovered in a 59-year-old man, completely asymptomatic and not associated with other malformations or biochemical disorders. Ultrasonography imaging showed the absence of the portal vein and the distal tract of superior mesenteric and splenic veins draining together into a dilated left renal vein. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance confirmed the presence of a congenital portosystemic venous shunt and also revealed two hepatic arteries: one arising from the celiac trunk and the other from the superior mesenteric artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. flavio.barchetti@live.it
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barchetti
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: Najwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Ansari
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scarpato
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ialongo
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008642:Mesenteric Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011168:Portal System / Q000002:abnormalities*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities*; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013162:Splenic Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging