Intrahepatic porto-hepatic venous shunts in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease: imaging demonstration

This study describes the imaging features of the intrahepatic portohepatic venous (PHV) shunt, which is a potential cause of portosystemic encephalopathy in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease. Six patients with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease (two men, four women; age range 42–73 years) were retrospectively studied. There were two from one family and three from another family. Of these patients, one was diagnosed with definitive portosystemic encephalopathy because of a psychiatric disorder. We retrospectively reviewed the radiological examinations, including abdominal angiography (n=6), three-phase dynamic helical computed tomography (CT; n=3), and conventional enhanced CT (n=1). In one patient, CT during angiography and CT angioportography were also performed. Evaluation was placed on the imaging features of intrahepatic PHV shunts. On angiography, intrahepatic PHV shunts showing multiple and small shunts <5 mm in diameter in an apparent network were detected in all patents. In two patients, a large shunt with a size of either 7 or 10 mm was associated. These intrahepatic PHV shunts were predominantly distributed in the peripheral parenchyma. Intrahepatic PHV shunts would be characterized by small and multiple shunts in an apparent network on the periphery with or without a large shunt.