Abdominal Vasculature Flashcards
(123 cards)
What are the major parts of the abd venous system?
- IVC
- IMV
- Renal veins
- SMV
- splenic vein
- portal veins
- hepatic veins
How do the venous vessels look in u/s?
tube-like structions with well-defined, echogenic walls and an echofree lumn, but the wall of arteries and portal venous structures will be more echogenic than the thinner walled veins.
What are the great vessels of the ventral cavity?
IVC and aorta
What is the function of the IVC?
to transport deoxygenated blood towards the heart
In real time imaging arteries show…
pulsations.
The lumens in the veins open and close with…
respiration.
What produces a more variable response with respiration?
valsalva maneuver
What happens when a patient does a valsalva maneuver?
The vessel distention may be greater when the patient holds his breath after a deep inspiration.
Why are arteries not influenced by respiration?
Arterial walls are thick and strong which enables the vesssel to withstand alterations in intra-abdominal pressure.
How is the IVC formed?
The IVC arises from the union of the two common iliac veins.
How are the common iliac veins formed?
From the union of the internal and external iliac veins
Where does the IVC course?
through the retroperitoneum, to the right of the aorta, and anterolateral to the vertebral processes
The IVC lies ___ to the right kidney and ___ to the liver.
medial, posterior
What multiple tributaries does the IVC give rise to which can be accessible with u/s through vascular exams?
lumbar veins, right suprarenal vein, right gonadal vein
What’s the only vessel posterior to the IVC?
right renal artery
What does the venous system contain within the lumen of the vessel that helps the blood move forward?
valves
If the valves leak or are damaged, what do we call the flow of blood in those vessels when it goes in reverse or backwards?
retrograde flow
T/F? The venous system usually demonstrated pulsatile flow.
False. The only time the venous system demonstates pulsatile flow is close to the heart or in right-sided CHF patients.
How does the IVC look in u/s?
The IVC is more elliptical than round with smaller AP measurement.
Where does the IVC begin to widen?
at the level of the renal veins
What is rouleaux formation?
red cell aggregation causing internal echos
When is rouleaux formation observed?
rouleaux formation may be observed in any large vein as larger veins have slower flow. Slow flow enhances rouleaux formation.
What are the sections of the IVC?
hepatic, pre-renal, renal, post-renal
What is the hepatic section?
where the hepatic veins empty into the IVC