Impaired visibility of the hepatic veins on the multi-detector computed tomography in patients with cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and associations of the impaired visibility of the hepatic veins (HV) on the multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) in cirrhotic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-seven consecutive cirrhotic patients undergoing triphasic liver MDCT were enrolled. The patency of the HV and the direction of the blood flow in the main portal vein, inhomogeneity of the liver, portal vein thrombosis (PVT), a spontaneous splenorenal shunt, splenic indexes (cm(3)), contour abnormalities, and enlargement of the fissure were evaluated. RESULTS The prevalence of the impaired visibility of the HV was 38% in the patients with cirrhosis. No significant associations exist between the impaired visibility of the HV and age (p=0.96), sex (p=0.14), portal vein thrombosis (p=0.29), or splenic indexes (p=0.32). Inhomogeneity of the liver (p=0.0001), marked contour abnormalities, (p=0.0001), splenorenal shunt (p=0.02), enlargement of fissure (p=0.0001), and hepatofugal flow (p=0.01) were significantly associated with the impaired visibility of the HV. CONCLUSION Inhomogeneity of the liver, marked contour abnormalities, and hepatofugal flow are independently associated with the impaired visibility of the HV in cirrhotic patients on hepatic venous phase CT.