Portal Vein Varix

Varix of the portal vein is a rare congenital anomaly of unknown origin and refers to focal dilatation of the portal vein. It is sometimes improperly referred to as an aneurysm of the portal vein. The varix is usually asymptomatic and tends to be an incidental finding.

The above images are from a patient who presented with right sided flank pain and was presumed to have renal colic. NCECT demonstrates a portal vein varix with luminal high density consistent with thrombosis.


REFERENCES
Lee WK, Chang SD, Duddalwar VA, et al. Imaging assessment of congenital and acquired abnormalities of the portal venous system. Radiographics 2011;31:905-26.