title: Normal main portal vein diameter measured on CT is larger than the widely referenced upper limit of 13 mm.
abstract: We determined mean main portal vein diameter in healthy patients evaluated with CT, compared this value to the "upper limit of normal" reported previously, and evaluated effects of age, sex, height, and BMI on portal vein diameter.
  
  
  
  Our cohort of healthy patients underwent abdominal CT as potential renal donors. We excluded patients with evidence of liver or severe cardiac disease. We recorded patients' age, sex, height, weight, and BMI. Patients' main portal vein diameters were measured by fellowship-trained abdominal imagers on non-contrast and post-contrast images in axial and coronal projections at a defined location. A general linear mixed model was used for analysis.
  
  
  
  191 patients with 679 main portal vein measurements were included in the analysis. Mean main portal vein diameter was 15.5 ± 1.9 mm; this value was significantly different from the upper limit of normal of 13 mm commonly referenced in the literature (95% CI: 2.22-2.69 mm higher, p < 0.0001). Portal vein diameter does not vary significantly when measured on axial vs. coronal images. On average, post-contrast main portal veins were 0.56 mm larger compared to non-contrast, (95% CI: 0.40-0.71 mm, p < 0.0071). Patient height and BMI are positively correlated with MPV diameter.
  
  
  
  Normal mean portal vein diameter measured on CT was significantly larger (mean 15.5 mm) than the accepted upper limit of 13 mm. Contrast-enhanced main portal veins are significantly larger (0.56 mm) than unenhanced. Sex, height, and BMI significantly affect main portal vein diameter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12401 East 17th Avenue, MS L954, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. e.stamm@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2896-259X
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12401 East 17th Avenue, MS L954, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12401 East 17th Avenue, MS L954, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Sajal S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pokharel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12401 East 17th Avenue, MS L954, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Toshimasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 East 17th Place, MS C245, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Glueck
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, MS C278, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 East 17th Place, MS C245, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Portal hypertension; Portal vein diameter; Portal vein measurement on CT