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Cisterna chyli in patients with portal hypertension: Evaluation with MR imaging
Author(s) -
Ito Katsuyoshi,
Shimizu Ayame,
Tanabe Masahiro,
Matsunaga Naofumi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.22875
Subject(s) - medicine , portal hypertension , radiology , cisterna , magnetic resonance imaging , caliber , cirrhosis , genetics , materials science , biology , metallurgy , cell , golgi apparatus
Purpose: To evaluate the difference in the caliber of cisterna chyli between patients with and without portal hypertension on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to assess the alteration of the caliber of cisterna chyli related to contraction waves during serial T2‐weighted MRI. Materials and Methods: This study included 177 patients with and without portal hypertension who underwent two sets of T2‐weighted MRI. MR images were evaluated for the visibility of cisterna chyli, the difference in the diameter of cisterna chyli between two patients groups, and the alteration in the diameter of cisterna chyli during serial T2‐weighted MRI. Results: The mean maximal diameter of cisterna chyli in patients with portal hypertension (4.97 ± 1.87 mm, range; 2.5–13.1 mm) was significantly larger ( P < 0.001) than that in patients without portal hypertension (3.37 ± 1.25 mm, range; 1.5–6.8 mm). In 132 patients with visible cisterna chyli and portal hypertension, 25 (19%) patients had a positive caliber change of cisterna chyli of more than 2 mm between two sets of T2‐weighted MR images. Conclusion: The dilatation of cisterna chyli can be demonstrated at MRI in patients with portal hypertension. Additionally, the positive caliber change of cisterna chyli related to contraction waves was observed in subsets of patients during serial T2‐weighted MRI. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:624‐628. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.