title: Central venous stenosis of left versus right arm: its prevalence and effects on image quality in CT of the neck.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate the prevalence of the left and right central venous stenosis by measuring the narrowest area and (2) to assess the effects of the central venous stenosis on perivenous artifacts and reflux of contrast material, in CT of the neck.
  
  
  METHODS
  Images of a total of 443 CT of the neck with an injection of contrast material into the left (n = 249) or right (n = 194) arm were retrospectively reviewed. The maximum stenosis area in the central vein ipsilateral to the injection side was measured in each patient. We also graded the perivenous artifacts and reflux of contrast material with 4-point scale. These results were compared between patients with right arm injection and those with left arm injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximum stenosis area in the left arm was significantly smaller than that in the right arm. The stenosis was most frequently identified at the medial clavicular region. The mean scores of the perivenous artifacts and the reflux of contrast material were significantly higher in patients with left arm injection than in those with right arm injection. The perivenous artifacts and reflux of contrast material were more prominent in patients with central venous stenosis (maximum stenosis area <50mm(2)) than those without stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The image degradation in CT of the neck, due to perivenous artifacts and venous reflux, can be reduced with the right arm injection of contrast material when compared with the left arm injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kangdong Seong-Sim Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 445 Gil-dong Kangdong-Gu, Seoul 134-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Joo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Young Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Kyoung Ja
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Chul Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*