Roentgen demonstration of the venous circulation in the liver; portal venography.

Abstract

Vasography has proved to be one of the most fruitful fields of roentgen investigation in recent years. With the hope of further extending its scope, a study of the roentgen demonstration of the portal circulation of the liver has been instituted at the University of Minnesota. This demonstration has been given the descriptive designation portal venography. The literature contains several references to portal venography, but these are concerned for the most part with the extra-hepatic portal system. Little interest has been evidenced in the intrahepatic portal circulation, which is the subject of this paper. Due to its relative inaccessibility, the various methods of approach to the portal circulation present difficulties from a diagnostic standpoint. An external approach is possible under certain specialized circumstances, such as a pre-existing portacaval anastomosis or portal obstruction with secondary dilatation of the periumbilical veins. The great majority of cases, however, require an internal appro...