Percutaneous portal venography.

Portal venography by percutaneous injection of the spleen was first performed in dogs (Abeatici and Campi, 195I) and the method was later successfully applied in man (Leger, 1951; Boulvin et al., 195I; Campi and Abeatici, I952). In the last few years the method has been routinely used at a number of centres in the British Isles. Atkinson, Barnett, Sherlock and Steiner (I955) have described about 40 cases investigated at the Hammersmith Hospital. The percutaneous trans-splenic technique is the method most widely used, but some workers prefer portal venography to be performed at laparotomy by injection of a mesenteric vein (Green and du Boulay, 1954). The writer's personal experience is limited to the transsplenic method.