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Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021
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In fact, we reported on portal vein variants in 200 patients in a study published in the AJR in 2004, with very similar results [2]. We evaluated portal branch anatomy based on CT with arterial portography and characterized portal variants into five categories, the first three matching those in the current study [1].
The authors report the prevalence of portal vein anomalies to be 34.5%, "higher than in other studies" [1]. However, we too found 35% of patients to have variant portal vein anatomy9% (as in the current study) with type 2 variant, with trifurcation of the main portal vein, and 13% with type 3 anatomy, in which the right posterior portal vein is the first branch of the main portal vein.
Atasoy and Özyürek [1] postulate that the high prevalence of anomalies detected were found because of 3D reformatting. Our study did not use 3D reformats but had similar results. Careful attention to portal vein anatomy on 2D or 3D imaging is important in detecting these clinically relevant but often overlooked anomalies. Likewise, careful attention to a literature search can prevent overlooking relevant publications.
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