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Portal Confluence: CT Scan Orientation
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Video Clip 1: View of the portal confluence in CT scan orientation. |
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The featured movie shows the portal confluence of the Visible Human in the orientation one gets during CT scan imaging. The video initially moves cephalad, exposing the splenic vein, then caudally to show the superior mesenteric vein. The celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery are shown leaving the aorta.
The portal confluence and origins of the Celiac and superior mesenteric arteries are very important in many disease states. For instance, involvement of the veins by a pancreatic tumor makes resection difficult if not impossible (a T3 lesion) whereas involvement of the arteries is by definition, unresectable disease (T4).
Three Visible Human images with links to the Visible Human database are provided (Figures 1-3). These images are unlabeled. If one uses the link below the figures to the Visible Human Interactive Atlas (VHIA), labels will appear over the anatomic structures as the mouse is moved over those structures. These images come from the start of the video, the celiac trunk, and the superior mesenteric artery takeoff.
An example of a non-contrast CT scan (Figure 4, unlabeled and Figure 5, labeled) in which the portal vein and common bile duct were involved by a tumor is shown.
Hopefully, this film clip and the associated Visible Human links will help the reader to become more proficient in the evaluation of images associated with these vital structures.
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