Traumatic Injury to the Portal Vein with Shock Bowel

Publication date: Available online 3 October 2017
Source:Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology
Author(s): Nicholas C. Cleveland, Don N. Nguyen, Cassie D. Tran, Rishi K. Maheshwary, Matthew S. Hartman
A portal vein aneurysm is the dilatation of the portal vein due to a defect in the vein wall. This rare disease manifestation is difficult to predict and has the potential for severe complications. We describe the case of a 68-year-old man involved in a MVC who presented with abdominal hemorrhage found on ultrasound, hypotension, and vague abdominal pain. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy to control bleeding. Surgery and a subsequent abdominal CT revealed the presence of a portal vein pseudoaneurysm and shock bowel. This case highlights the importance of radiologists to consider the prospect of portal vein aneurysm in the differential diagnosis of hypotension following abdominal trauma.



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