title: Morphology of congenital portosystemic shunts involving the right gastric vein in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the anatomy of congenital portosystemic shunts involving the right gastric vein in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of a consecutive series of dogs managed for congenital portosystemic shunt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two dogs met the inclusion criteria of a congenital portosystemic shunt involving the right gastric vein with recorded intraoperative mesenteric portovenography or computed tomography angiography and gross observations at the time of surgery. Of these, 20 (91%) had a shunt that entered the pre-hepatic caudal vena cava at the level of the epiploic foramen and two (9%) had a shunt that entered the post-hepatic caudal vena cava at the level of the diaphragm. Shunts entering the pre-hepatic caudal vena cava could be further classified into three consistent subdivisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The morphology of each shunt type described appeared to be a result of an abnormal communication between the left gastric vein and the caudal vena cava, the presence or absence of an abnormal communication between the splenic, left gastric and portal veins and the subsequent development of preferential blood flow through essentially normal portal vessels within the portal venous system. The abnormal communication (shunt) was through the left gastric vein and not the right gastric vein, as might have been expected. This information may help with surgical planning in cases undergoing shunt closure surgery.
authors: Willows Referral Service, Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4NH.
authors: R N
authors: RN
authors: White
authors: Willows Referral Service, Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4NH.
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Parry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011168:Portal System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000098:blood supply; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*