ASYMPTOMATIC ANEURYSMAL INTRAHEPATIC PORTO-HEPATIC VENOUS SHUNT - DIAGNOSIS BY ULTRASOUND

Intrahepatic porto-hepatic venous shunts are rare entities with less t han 20 cases reported in the literature. Many are associated with live r cirrhosis, but some appear to be of developmental origin. The rarest type of such a shunt is one via a portal vein aneurysm. A case is rep orted where the diagnosis was made by colour duplex ultrasound. No fur ther investigation or treatment was deemed necessary. The ability to m ake such a diagnosis without the many invasive procedures hitherto emp loyed indicates the value of this modality in the investigation of vas cular anomalies.