Abstract
Purpose: to describe the typical colour Doppler appearance of a shunt through the parenchyma of the left lobe of the liver in portal hypertension
Material and Methods: Ultrasound images of 141 patients with biopsy-verified cirrhosis were reviewed. Special note was taken of the appearance of shunts from the left portal branch
Results: in 28 patients, shunts from the left portal branch were detected ultra-sonographically, 10 of which ran through the liver parenchyma on a course separated from the ligamentum teres. Seven of these 10 followed a tortuous course just below the surface of the liver creating a ball or corkscrew-like pattern
Conclusion: Shunts from the left portal branch are not uncommon and may represent the only ultrasonographically detectable pathology in these patients. Recognition of the typical pattern will facilitate their detection
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