Spontaneous portohepatic venous shunt: ultrasonographic aspect

We aimed to describe the imaging findings of a spontaneous portohepatic venous shunt. This is a rare entity, especially when it is not associated with risk factors such as portal hypertension or liver trauma. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman admitted to our clinic for progressive asthenia, loss of appetite, and progressive upper abdominal pain. We performed several blood tests, abdominal ultrasonography, contrast-enhanced abdominal ultrasonography, and abdominal computed tomographic scan to establish and confirm the diagnosis. Findings of ultrasound revealed a cystic mass in the right liver lobe. Liver enzymes were normal, and viral hepatitis markers as well as serology for Echinococcus granulosus were negative. There were no signs of liver cirrhosis or portal hypertension. Abdominal ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound established the diagnosis of portohepatic venous shunt; this was also confirmed by abdominal computed tomographic scan. Because the patient did not present any risk factors, the diagnosis was of spontaneous portohepatic venous shunt.