Angiographic Demonstration of Intrahepatic Arterio-Portal Anastomoses in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Authors:
  • KOKunio Okuda
    Kunio Okuda
  • HMHirotaka Musha
    Hirotaka Musha
  • TYTakeshi Yamasaki
    Takeshi Yamasaki
  • SJShigenobu Jinnouchi
    Shigenobu Jinnouchi
  • YNYoshikazu Nagasaki
    Yoshikazu Nagasaki
  • YKYasuhiko Kubo
    Yasuhiko Kubo
  • YSYutaka Shimokawa
    Yutaka Shimokawa
  • TNToshimichi Nakayama
    Toshimichi Nakayama
  • MKMasamichi Kojiro
    Masamichi Kojiro
  • KSKazuyoshi Sakamoto
    Kazuyoshi Sakamoto
  • TNToshiro Nakashima
    Toshiro Nakashima
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Abstract
Hepatic angiograms of 114 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied, particularly changes in the portal vein branches. Arterio-portal shunts of varying sizes, evidenced by opacification of intrahepatic portal branches, were seen in 72 cases (63.2%), with retrograde opacification of the portal vein trunk in 29 (25.4%). At least four types of shunts were found: (a) through a tumor thrombus in the portal branch, (b) in a retrograde direction via a peripheral tumor nodule, (c) through a small tumor invading or amputating an artery, and (d) through a tumor located near a major portal vein branch and supplied by a large, coiling artery. Postmortem angiography of the liver in 50 patients with HCC suggests that arterio-portal shunts are the result of the special vasculature in HCC and are highly diagnostic when accompanied by other angiographic changes.