Preliminary Studies on the Intrahepatic Anatomy of the Venous Vasculature in Cats

Abstract

Hepatic surgeries are often performed in cats to obtain a disease diagnosis, for the removal of masses, or for the treatment of shunts. Whereas the vascular anatomy of the liver has been studied in dogs, such evidence is lacking in cats. The current study used corrosion casts of portal and hepatic veins and computed tomography (CT) analysis of the casts to identify and describe the intrahepatic anatomy in healthy cat livers (n = 7). The results showed that feline livers had a consistent intrahepatic portal and venous anatomy, with only minor disparities in the numbers of secondary and tertiary branches. The feline portal vein consistently divided into two major branches and not three, as previously described in the literature for cats. The finding of a portal vein originating from the right medial lobe branch leading to the quadrate lobe in 4/7 specimens is a novelty of the feline anatomy that was not previously described in dogs. Partial to complete fusion of the caudate process of the caudate and the right lateral lobe, with a lack of clear venous separation between the lobes, was present in two specimens. These findings allowed a detailed description of the most common intrahepatic venous patterns in cats. Further anatomical studies should be encouraged to confirm the present findings and to investigate the utility of this information in surgical settings.

Anatomical and Three-Dimensional Study of the Female Feline Abdominal and Pelvic Vascular System Using Dissections, Computed Tomography Angiography and Magnetic Resonance Angiography

“…Results from the current research show that the use of anatomical dissections injected with colored latex helps in the identification of the major blood vessels as well as their main branches and this enhances the anatomical accuracy of the study. Our study concurs with other authors who have used anatomical preparations with vascular repletion to facilitate the examination of the vasculature of the abdominal and pelvic cavities [ 25 , 27 , 28 ]. In our work, CTA images were acquired by means of a 16-slices spiral CT unit, which contributed a suitable view of the abdominal and pelvic vascular system.…”

“…In our work, CTA images were acquired by means of a 16-slices spiral CT unit, which contributed a suitable view of the abdominal and pelvic vascular system. The reviewed literature contained a few studies on feline abdominal and pelvic anatomy using CTA [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. Other researchers have applied CTA for the assessment of the characteristics of the renal vessels in healthy cats for the selection of appropriate feline renal transplant donors [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], and there is also one recent report that combine CTA VR reconstructions, anatomical dissections and 3D printings for the study of the vascularization and bile circulation of the feline liver [ 28 ].…”

“…Finally, 3D printing from cadaver cats was used in this study to facilitate a better interpretation of the CTA and the TOF images. In veterinary medicine, several reports of 3D printing and advanced corrosion casting technologies have supplied a valuable tool to aid surgery scheduling, improve anatomical knowledge and encourage research [ 25 , 27 , 28 , 36 , 37 ]. Colored latex vascular anatomical dissections, CTA acquisitions, TOF MRA and 3D printing of the feline abdominal and pelvic cavities have allowed us to identify the great vessels and their main branches.…”

“…The major disadvantages of CTA and MRA include cost, limited equipment availability and the need for general anesthesia. In cats, anatomical studies using helical CTA have been limited to the evaluation of maxillary artery blood flow with the mouth closed and opened [ 21 ], the cardiac chambers and walls [ 22 ], the coronary arteries [ 23 ], the stomach and small intestine [ 24 , 25 ], the liver [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ], the pancreas [ 24 , 25 , 29 ] and the kidneys [ 24 , 25 , 30 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Surgical Anatomy of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Cats

“…The blood supply in the feline liver is provided by the hepatic artery, which is a branch of the celiac artery, and the portal vein, which provides 80% of the blood supply to the liver [ 20 , 68 ]. Recently, Metzger et al described the vascular anatomy of the liver in seven healthy cats [ 119 ]. Based on their results, it was reported that the portal vein, upon entering the liver hilus, is divided into a right and left branch, giving branches to the liver lobes, in contrast to previous reports for three branches [ 68 ] ( Figure 26 ).…”