ABERRANT LEFT GASTRIC VEIN DEMONSTRATED BY HELICAL CT

Purpose: Our goal was to describe the CT findings of aberrant left gas tric vein (ALGV) and to evaluate the clinical significance of this vei n. Method: Four patients in whom ALGVs were demonstrated by helical CT were examined. Each patient had either intrahepatic cholangiocarcinom a, cirrhosis with gastric varices, chronic hepatitis, or nonspecific a bdominal pain. All patients underwent two phase helical CT, and the pa tient with cholangiocarcinoma underwent CT during arterial portography , and 3D images of the abdominal veins were obtained. Results: In all patients, the ALGVs ran along the hepatogastric ligament and were dire ctly connected with the left portal branch, In the patient with cholan giocarcinoma, the portal vein lad severe stenosis by tumor invasion, a nd both the ALGV and the aberrant right gastric vein functioned as a c ollateral pathway of the portal flow into the liver. In the patient wi th cirrhosis, dilated ALGV with hepatofugal flow caused gastric varice s. Conclusion: The ALGV is directly connected with the left portal bra nch and may play an important role in the collateral pathway of the po rtal system.