Visualization of the right adrenal vein using CT during right inferior phrenic arteriography in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency of right adrenal vein identification by computed tomography (CT) during right inferior phrenic arteriography (CTRIPA) and to describe the spectrum of anatomic variations of the right adrenal vein.

Materials And Methods: CTRIPA performed on 104 patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma in our hospital between August 2007 and July 2013 were reviewed. The right adrenal vein on CTRIPA images was evaluated for degree of visualization, anatomic variation, anatomic features, vessel direction, and length. CTRIPA images were compared with dynamic CT before TACE.

Results: Partial or entire enhancement of the adrenal gland was obtained in 101 patients. The right adrenal vein was detected using CTRIPA in 97% (98/101) of patients, which was significantly higher than detection using dynamic multidetector CT (MDCT) [77% (78/101)]. Vessel length and diameter averaged 8.5 ± 3.8 and 1.6 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. CTRIPA also showed venous drainage into the right capsular renal vein in nine patients.

Conclusion: Almost all right adrenal veins were visualized using CTRIPA; the detection rate was significantly higher on CTRIPA than on MDCT before TACE.