HEPATIC PORTAL VENOUS GAS
Abstract
Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG), an ominous radiologic sign, in most of the cases is associated with a severe abdominal disease that requires an urgent surgical intervention. In the medical literature, HPVG has been commonly associated with severe or lethal conditions. The diagnosis of HPVG is usually made by plain abdominal radiography, ultrasonography, color Dopler flow imaging or computed tomography (CT) scan. The increased use of CT scan in the inpatient setting allows early and highly sensitive detection and also recognition of an increasing number of benign and non-life threating causes of HPVG. The prognosis is related to the pathology itself and is not influenced by the presence of HPVG.
Key words: hepatic portal vein gas; bowel ischemia/necrosis; pneumatosis intestinalis; abdominal computed tomography scan; acute abdomen.
References
2. Susman N, Senturia HR. Gas embolization of the portal venous system. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med 1960;83: 847-850.
3.Peloponissios N, Halkic N, Pugnale M, Jornod P, Nordback P, Meyer A, et al. Hepatic portal gas in adults: review of the literature and presentation of a consecutive series of 11 cases. Arch Surg 2003;138(12):1367–70.
4. Chien-Hua L, Jyh-Cherng Y, Huan-Fa H, Hurng-Sheng W, Shih-Yi C, Chu-Hsin C. Pneumatosis intestinalis and hepatic-portal-mesenteric venous gas in intestinal ischemia. Rev Esp Enferm Dig 2007;99(2):96–9.
5. Liebman PR, Patten MT, Manny J, Benfield JR, Hechtman HB. Hepatic--portal venous gas in adults: etiology, pathophysiology and clinical significance. Ann Surg 1978;187: 281-287
6. Abboud B, El Hachem J, Yazbeck T, Doumit C. Hepatic portal venous gas: Physiopathology, etiology, prognosis and treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(29): 3585-3590.
7. Chan SC, Wan YL, Cheung YC, Ng SH, Wong AMC, Ng KK. Computed tomography findings in fatal cases of enormous hepatic portal venous gas. World J Gastroenterol 2005; 11(19): 2953-2955.
8. Koami H, Isa T, Ishimine T, Kameyama S, Matsumura T, Yamada KC, et al. Risk factors for bowel necrosis in patients with hepatic portal venous gas. Surg Today 2015;45(2):156–61.