Congenital absence of the portal vein in a middle-aged man

A basic understanding of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt: incidence, mechanism, complications, diagnosis, and treatment

Extrahepatic portosystemic shunt belongs to a family of rare vascular abnormalities. The clinical importance and manifestations of this vascular abnormality range from asymptomatic cases to liver or metabolic dysfunctions of various degrees. Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt, also termed as Abernethy malformation, is a very rare congenital vascular malformation in which splenomesenteric blood drains into a systemic vein, bypassing the liver through a complete or partial extrahepatic shunt. So far, limited cases of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt have been reported. In this review, incidence, mechanisms, complications, diagnoses and treatments of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt are described.

Unusual Branching Pattern of the Portal Vein: Its Importance

Portal vein anatomy and its branching pattern are of utmost importance for surgical planning of complex liver resections, living donor liver transplant and radiological procedures. The division of the vein at the porta hepatis, into the right and left branches is the most common branching pattern. Various branching variations have been described. We report a previously undescribed branching pattern of the right portal vein, where the segment VII vein arises directly from the left portal vein.

Congenital absence of the portal vein associated with focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver and congenital heart disease (Abernethy malformation): A case report and literature review

Abernethy malformation is a rare congenital malformation defined by an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. The majority of affected patients are young (<18 years of age) and experience various symptoms, including vomiting, jaundice, dyspnea and coma. The current study presents a case of Abernethy malformation in an asymptomatic adult male patient. The patient exhibited congenital absence of the portal vein, congenital heart disease (postoperative ventricular septal defect status), and multiple liver lesions, confirmed to be focal nodular hyperplasia by biopsy. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging findings revealing the liver lesions, type II congenital absence of the portal vein and the portosystemic shunt are presented. In addition, the common clinical presentations, associated anomalies, diagnostic workup and treatment options of this disorder are investigated by reviewing 101 previously reported cases.

Systematic review of congenital and acquired portal-systemic shunts in otherwise normal livers

BACKGROUND

Portal-systemic shunts (PSSs) are rarely seen in healthy individuals or patients with non-cirrhotic liver disease. They may play an important role in hepatic metabolism as well as in the spread of gastrointestinal metastatic tumours to specific organs. Small spontaneous PSSs may be more common than generally thought. However, epidemiological data are scarce and inconclusive. This systematic review examined the prevalence of reported PSSs and the associated detection methods.

METHODS

Literature up to 2011 was reviewed for adult patients with proven congenital or acquired PSSs. Only PSSs in normal livers were analysed for the methods of diagnosis. Eligible studies were identified by searching relevant databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. The selection of eligible articles was carried out using predefined inclusion criteria (adult, non-surgical PSS) and a set of search terms that were established before the articles were identified.

RESULTS

Eighty studies were included describing 112 patients with congenital or acquired PSSs. The majority were diagnosed incidentally using Doppler ultrasound imaging and CT.

CONCLUSION

Congenital and acquired PSSs are rare. They are usually clinically asymptomatic and discovered incidentally by radiological techniques. They may be clinically relevant owing to drug, tumour cell, metabolic and pathogen shunting.

Preduodenal portal vein, intestinal malrotation, polysplenia, and interruption of the inferior vena cava: a review of anatomical anomalies associated with gastric cancer

PURPOSE

Anatomical anomalies of visceral organs associated with gastric cancer are extremely rare. Here, we report a case of preduodenal portal vein (PDPV), intestinal malrotation, interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC), and polysplenia associated with gastric cancer in an adult patient, together with a review of the literature on the anomalies of visceral organs associated with gastric cancer.

METHODS

We describe the diagnosis and surgical treatment in a 63 year-old man who had a preoperative diagnosis of PDPV, intestinal malrotation, interruption of the IVC with azygos continuation, and polysplenia associated with gastric cancer. Fifteen reports, in the English literature up to 2011, on visceral organ anomalies detected in gastric cancer patients were identified by searching Medline.

RESULTS

All of the 15 cases of anomalies associated with gastric cancer, including the present case, were correctly diagnosed by preoperative imaging. Situs anomaly was the most frequent anatomical anomaly detected, and PDPV was observed in only four cases. In 12 cases, gastrectomy was performed, and gastrojejunostomy was done in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONS

Although embryological anomalies such as PDPV, intestinal malrotation, interruption of the IVC, and polysplenia are rarely encountered in abdominal surgery, surgeons must be aware of their possible existence and be able to recognize them to avoid major intraoperative injuries.