Wall composition analysis of the human hepatic artery by intravascular ultrasound.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the wall layer appearance of the human hepatic artery shown by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).


METHODS
We evaluated the wall layer appearance of 57 human hepatic arteries from 36 cadavers. The thickness of the inner high-echoic layer and the second low-echoic layer of the arteries was measured by IVUS, and it was compared with that of the arterial intima and media, respectively.


RESULTS
The thickness of the inner high-echoic layer was 0.2 ± 0.1 mm and that of the second low-echoic layer was 0.4 ± 0.1 mm, on IVUS. However, the histological thickness of the intima was 120 ± 45 μm and that of the media was 258 ± 71 μm. The media of the hepatic artery correlated significantly with the second low-echoic layer on IVUS (r = 0.62, P < 0.01). The diameter of the vessels measured on IVUS correlated significantly with that of the histological specimens (r = 0.89, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
From our results, the three layers of the hepatic artery detected with IVUS may correspond to the intima, media, and adventitia, respectively.
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan. nhirokaw@sapmed.ac.jp.
Naoki
N
Hirokawa
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Kazumitsu
K
Koito
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Taishi
T
Satoh
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Masakazu
M
Hori
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Masato
M
Saitoh
Division of Clinical Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
Mutsumi
M
Nishida
First Department of Surgery, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
Fumitake
F
Hata
Department of Fundamental Health Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, Japan.
Motoki
M
Nishi
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Minami-1, Nishi-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Masato
M
Hareyama
human hepatic artery; inner high-echoic layer; intravascular ultrasound (IVUS); second low-echoic layer; three layers