Anatomic variations of arterial liver vascularization: an analysis by using MDCTA.
OBJECTIVE
The knowledge of celiac trunk vascularization and hepatic arteries' configuration is extremely important in several areas like hepato-biliary pancreatic surgery, as well as in interventional radiological treatment. Our purpose was to evaluate the incidence of anatomic variation of arterial liver vascularization by using MDCTA in a large, homogeneous population.


METHODS
Between January 2004 and December 2009, 1,910 patients (1,156 men; mean age, 62.7 years) who underwent MDCT were retrospectively analyzed. Hepatic arterial configuration was classified according to Michels' classification. Image quality was graded according to an ordinal scale.


RESULTS
Of the 1,910 examined patients, 281 (15, 67%) were excluded because of sub-optimal image quality. Of the remaining 1,629 patients (986 men; mean age, 61.1 years ± 8 (SD); age range, 19-90 years), anatomic variations were detected in 631 patients (38.73%).


CONCLUSIONS
MDCT was useful in analyzing arterial liver configuration and demonstrated the presence of a significant incidence of arterial variants (38.73%) in the examined population.
Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria, di Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554, 09045, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy. lucasaba@tiscali.it
Luca
L
Saba
Giorgio
G
Mallarini
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D002445:Celiac Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
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