Vascular CT Appearances
Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT) CT Findings
- Thrombus within the portal vein lumen/portal trunk
- Filling defect
- Occlusion of the vessel lumen (partial or complete)
- Rim enhancement may be seen
- Cavernous transformation of portal vein (portal cavernoma)
- Common with cirrhosis or hepatic tumors
Other Information About Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT)
Etiology:
- Cirrhosis
- Hypercoagulable conditions
- Trauma
- Abdominal inflammatory disease or infection
- Pregnancy
Epidemiology:
- Can occur at any age
- Patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are most at risk
Presentation:
- Asymptomatic and detected incidentally
Prognosis:
- With treatment, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 85% for PVT outside the liver
- Treated intrahepatic PVT 5-year relative survival rate is closer to 40%
- Untreated PVT is fatal
Related Pearls: Portal Vein
Related Lectures:
MDCT Evaluation of Parenchymal Liver Disease Part 3