Blood Flows in Tributaries of the Portal Vein: Anatomical and Angiographic Studies in Normal Beagle Dogs

Abstract

Liver anatomy, particularly its vascularization, has been investigated in many studies in dogs. Knowledge of blood flow from the main tributaries of the portal vein (PV) is necessary to explain the preferential sites of secondary lesions within the liver based on the site of the initial malignant lesion. How these flows come together was established in an earlier ex vivo study. Here, we highlight in vivo the blood flows from the main PV tributaries and their distribution in the liver of normal dogs. Portographs of the main PV tributaries were obtained in seven dogs after injection of an angiographic contrast medium. After euthanasia, the livers and their portal vascularization (PV and tributaries) were extracted for a comparative corrosion cast study. Flows were demonstrated in the cranial mesenteric vein, caudal mesenteric vein and splenic vein. However, no proper flow could be distinguished for the gastroduodenal and ileocolic veins. All these tributaries primarily supply the lateral liver lobes (right or left). Most of our observations indicate that the cranial mesenteric, caudal mesenteric and splenic veins primarily supply the right lateral lobe and the caudate process of the caudate lobe and secondarily the left lateral lobe, left medial lobe and the quadrate lobe. The two other tributaries (gastroduodenal and ileocolic veins) primarily supply the right lateral lobe and the caudate process of the caudate lobe.

Targeted puncture of left branch of intrahepatic portal vein in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt to reduce hepatic encephalopathy

“…Similar results[21] have been found in humans: blood ammonia concentration, superior mesenteric vein > portal vein > splenic vein > peripheral vein, and the differences are significant. Later, the isotope hypothesis[22,23] was used to confirm the hypothesis. The results showed that the concentration of ammonia in the superior mesenteric vein was higher than that in the splenic vein and vena cava, suggesting that exogenous ammonia removal was not timely and would cause systemic circulation of ammonia to increase rapidly.…”

The Effect of Puncture Sites of Portal Vein in TIPS with ePTFE-Covered Stents on Postoperative Long-Term Clinical Efficacy

“…Similarly, results in our study showed that the incidence of HE in the group of the left branch was significantly lower than those of the other two groups. As the two major venous circuits of the main portal vein, the bloodstream in the superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein has not been mixed adequately in the main portal vein before it is shunted into the right or the left branch of the portal vein, respectively, which means the blood in the right and left branch of the portal vein mostly comes from the superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein, respectively [23]. The blood in the superior mesenteric vein contains massive toxin compared to that in the splenic vein, especially ammonia, which means that the concentration of plasma ammonia in the right branch of the portal vein is higher than that in the left branch.…”

“…The blood in the superior mesenteric vein contains massive toxin compared to that in the splenic vein, especially ammonia, which means that the concentration of plasma ammonia in the right branch of the portal vein is higher than that in the left branch. It was reported that the concentration of plasma ammonia in veins were ranked as follows: superior mesenteric vein > main portal vein > splenic vein > peripheral vein, of which the significant difference had been proven [23]. However, these kinds of data from human patients are currently not available.…”

Comparison of computed tomographic angiography and intraoperative mesenteric portovenography for extrahepatic portosystemic shunts

“…The blood flow through the tributaries of the portal vein has been studied in dogs with normal portal anatomy and no EHPSS (Mogicato et al . ). In the normal dog, there appears to be a preferential flow of portal blood into the liver dependent on which tributary of the portal vein the blood is entering the liver from.…”

“…Using IOMP, the study concluded that the cranial mesenteric, caudal mesenteric and splenic veins primarily supply the right lateral lobe and the caudate process of the caudate lobe and secondarily the left lateral lobe, left medial lobe and the quadrate lobe (Mogicato et al . ). Daniel et al .…”