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Sonographic features of hepatic artery calcification in chronic renal failure
K Okuda1, S Kobayashi, H Hayashi
1First Department of Medicine, Second Department of Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
Insights
Hepatic artery calcification in patients with chronic renal failure can be identified using ultrasound. Acoustic shadowing on ultrasound reliably indicates calcification of the hepatic artery.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Vascular Imaging
- Nephrology
Background:
- Hepatic artery calcification (HAC) is poorly understood radiologically.
- Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) often exhibit tissue calcification due to hyperparathyroidism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sonographic features of calcified hepatic arteries in patients with CRF.
- To correlate ultrasound findings with CT in evaluating HAC.
Main Methods:
- Ultrasound examination of the liver, spleen, and kidneys in 314 dialysis patients.
- Reevaluation focusing on acoustic shadowing, with abdominal CT performed in 219 patients.
- Correlation of ultrasound and CT findings for HAC detection.
Main Results:
- Acoustic shadowing in the hilum, corresponding to calcified hepatic arteries on CT, was observed in 8 patients.
- Ultrasound identified acoustic shadows indicative of HAC in 36 patients.
- Probable calcification of small arteries within the liver was seen in 70 patients.
Conclusions:
- Hepatic artery calcification can be reliably identified by its characteristic acoustic shadow on ultrasound.
- Sonographic acoustic shadowing is a valuable tool for detecting HAC in patients with CRF.
Purpose:
Little is known about radiological aspects of hepatic artery calcification. For this reason, the sonographic features of calcified hepatic arteries were studied in patients with chronic renal failure who frequently develop tissue calcification due to hyperparathyroidism.
Material And Methods:
Ultrasound was performed in 314 patients on dialysis who underwent examination of the liver, spleen and kidney twice in the past 4 years and were reevaluated with particular attention to acoustic shadowing. Abdominal CT was carried out in 219 of these 314 patients, and ultrasound findings were reevaluated with reference to CT findings.
Results:
A large acoustic shadow was seen in the hilum that corresponded to the calcified hepatic artery on CT in 8 patients, and in another 9, a similar large shadow was seen in the hilum without CT confirmation. Acoustic shadows of various sizes were definitely or most likely due to arterial calcification within the liver in 36 patients. The strength of shadow depended on the angle at which the ultrasound beam hit the artery. Probable calcification of small arteries accompanying portal veins was seen in 70 patients. These changes are different from those due to pneumobilia and biliary tract diseases.
Conclusion:
Calcification of the hepatic artery can be identified by its acoustic shadow.
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