Can an enhanced thin-slice computed tomography delineate the right adrenal vein and improve the success rate?

To evaluate the usefulness of enhanced thin-slice computed tomography (TSCT) for delineating the right adrenal vein (RAV) anatomy before adrenal vein sampling (AVS).

A total of 151 consecutive AVSs with CT during angiography (interventional CT) were included. Of them, TSCT was performed before AVS for 72 patients. Successful RAV cannulation was confirmed using cortisol measurement. The RAV on TSCT was classified as certain, probable, or unidentified, and cases with certain or probable RAV identification were classified as useful. In the cases where AVS was successful, the anatomical features of the presumed RAV from the useful TSCT, including the position along the inferior vena cava, vertebral level, and distance from the upper pole of the right kidney, were compared with the RAV features identified on interventional CT. Estimated successful cannulation rates before interventional CT were compared between patients with and without useful TSCT.

In total, 66 TSCTs were classified as useful. The anatomical features identified on TSCT were significantly correlated with those on interventional CT. The estimated successful cannulation rates for cases with and without useful TSCT were 92.4 and 82.4 %, respectively.

TSCT clearly shows the anatomical features of the RAV, facilitating accurate sampling and increasing the success rate.