Portal venous thrombosis: correlative analysis of sonography, CT and angiography

In 17 patients with portal venous thrombosis; nine due to venous invasion by liver tumors, and eight due to benign causes, sonograms and CT scans were reviewed, and the results were correlated with angiography. Sonography detected portal venous thrombosis in 94% and CT in 76%. Sonography was better than CT in the demonstration of the extent of thrombosis. By the detection of solid masses in the liver, and contiguous thrombosis of the segmental portal veins, both sonography and CT were accurate in the differentiation of venous invasion by tumor from benign thrombosis. Angiography was 91% accurate and was unique in the demonstration of arterioportal shunting and detailed vascular anatomy of the portal venous system.