ABERRANT GASTRIC VENOUS DRAINAGE INTO THE MEDIAL SEGMENT OF THE LIVER- DEMONSTRATION BY COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY

Background: Aberrant gastric venous drainage (AGVD) into the posterior edge of the medial segment of the liver (segment IV) is the main caus e of pseudolesion on computed tomography (CT) during arterial portogra phy. We estimated the prevalence of AGVD into the medial segment of th e liver with color and power Doppler ultrasound (US). Methods: Screeni ng gray-scale and color Doppler and power Doppler US were performed in 100 consecutive patients. AGVD was defined as a venous structure that ascended parallel to the main portal vein and drained independently i nto segment IV. Results: AGVDs were observed in eight of 100 patients (8%) with color and power Doppler US. Power Doppler US depicted these veins more clearly than did color Doppler US. Gray-scale US did not sh ow any AGVDs. Two of eight patients with AGVDs detected by color Doppl er US underwent celiac arteriography and CT during arterial portograph y (CTAP). In these two patients, celiac arteriography directly demonst rated AGVDs draining into segment IV, which revealed nontumorous perfu sion defects (pseudolesions) on CTAP. Conclusion: Color and power Dopp ler US are useful imaging methods for demonstrating AGVDs.