Portal tumor thrombus secondary to gastric carcinoma: report of a case with an emphasis on color Doppler ultrasound findings

Abstract

We report the case of a 67-year-old woman with portal tumor thrombus (PTT) associated with gastric carcinoma. Abdominal ultrasound (US) revealed a marked thickening of the gastric wall and a mass lesion in the splenic vein. Color Doppler US showed the intraportal mass to be blood flow-poor and revealed a gastroepiploic vein extending from the splenic hilum to the portal confluence, passing behind the peritoneum. These findings corresponded well with gastric carcinoma with PTT. Endoscopy confirmed the presence of an advanced type II carcinoma predominantly located in the upper body, which yielded histological results consistent with a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient's general condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died 2 months later. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the presence of a large gastroepiploic vein secondary to gastric carcinoma-associated PTT.