TITLE:
An Unusual Cause of Hepatic Portal Venous Gas
AUTHORS:
Nizar Talaat, Ritu Gupta
KEYWORDS:
Hepatic Portal Venous Gas, Superior Vena Cava Syndrome, Liver Imaging
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.3 No.5,
May
12,
2014
ABSTRACT:
A 27-years-old
female with history of venous thromboembolism secondary to Lupus anticoagulant presented
with sudden onset of chest pain and dyspnea. A CT angiogram of the chest showed
superior vena caval (SVC) obstruction with anterior chest wall venous
collaterals and hepatic portal vein gas (HPVG), which resolved without intervention
on a repeated CT-scan of the abdomen. Previously, HPVG was considered to be a
dangerous radiologic sign, however with the advancement in imaging technology
more benign causes are being identified. This case highlights that this finding
alone, if found, does not indicate aggressive management and that clinical
correlation should be considered if found.