Congenital Portosystemic Shunts (images)

Normal Portogram:

Portogram_normal.jpg (25956 bytes)

Contrast dye injected into a portal vein demonstrates the normal portal vasculature in the liver lobe to which the injected vein drains.

 

Patent Ductus Venosus: 

Portogram_PSS.jpg (28795 bytes)

Dye injected into a portal vein of a dog is shunted directly through the liver via (in this case) a patent ductus venosus.  The dye rapidly enters the circulation and "lights up" the kidney and other structures.

 

Congenital Portosystemic Shunt:  Gross Lesion - Dog

PortosystemicShunt.jpg (66572 bytes)

Definition:  A vessel which shunted a percentage of portal blood past the liver and directly into the systemic circulation is isolated here with instruments and a ligature.

Orientation:  To the left if the liver and gall bladder.  To the right is the pancreas and duodenum.  The structure at the bottom on the field is kidney and the structure at the top is a loop of intestine.