title: Portal vein anatomy in the dog: comparison between computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and intraoperative mesenteric portovenography (IOMP).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare and contrast the findings of intra-operative mesenteric portovenography (IOMP) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) for the visualisation and identification of the extrahepatic and intrahepatic portal venous system in the normal dog.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of dogs with raised post-prandial bile acids concentrations, normal portal venous pressures and grossly normal portal vasculature that had undergone both CTA and IOMP was performed. Images and video were compared with the published anatomic literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten dogs met the inclusion criteria. CTA documented the portal vein and its tributaries in all 10 dogs. IOMP documented the portal vein and the cranial mesenteric vein in all 10 dogs and the splenic vein in 1 dog but failed to show the caudal mesenteric and gastroduodenal veins in any dog. CTA documented more extrahepatic portal venous tributaries than IOMP. Both techniques documented the intrahepatic portal vasculature completely with equal clarity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a large difference between the ability of the two techniques to delineate the normal portal vasculature; CTA consistently visualised the extrahepatic portal vasculature more completely than the IOMP and, as such, might be considered the modality of choice for imaging the normal portal vasculature in the dog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Herts AL9 7TA.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.affiliation: Willows Referral Service, Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4NH.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary