Deer Horn Sign in Congestive Hepatopathy Due to Heart Failure

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Hepatology
• Cardiology

Background:

• Congestive hepatopathy is often diagnosed based on clinical and laboratory findings.
• The deer horn sign is an ultrasonographic finding associated with congestive hepatopathy.
• This sign involves dilated intrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) and hepatic veins (HVs).

Observation:

• A 72-year-old female presented with right upper quadrant pain.
• Transabdominal ultrasound revealed the deer horn sign and hepatic venous drainage changes.
• Echocardiography diagnosed congestive heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and significant valvular issues.

Findings:

• The deer horn sign was identified in a patient with congestive heart failure.
• Hemodynamic changes in hepatic venous drainage were observed.
• The ultrasonographic finding correlated with echocardiographic diagnosis of heart failure.

Implications:

• The deer horn sign may serve as a valuable diagnostic clue for congestive hepatopathy.
• This ultrasonographic finding can assist in the diagnosis of heart failure in emergency settings.
• Integrating imaging findings with clinical data improves diagnostic accuracy for liver and heart conditions.