BACKGROUND: Celiomesenteric trunk is a rare vascular anomaly, which has significant clinical implications. 3-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (3D CE MRA) is a new imaging modality, non-invasive, fast and easy to perform. We describe a patient with a common celiomesenteric trunk demonstrated by 3D CE MRA.
METHODS: A 45-year-old man was subjected to 3D CE MRA before transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma. The examination was performed on a 1.5T MR imager with a body coil. The contrast medium was gadopentetate dimeglumine. Source images from the hepatic arterial phase acquisition were reconstructed into MRA images. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) during TACE was carried out 3 days after 3D CE MRA.
RESULTS: On 3D CE MRA, a common trunk of the celiac and superior mesenteric artery was clearly depicted. The origin and course of the hepatic, splenic and superior mesenteric arteries were also visualized. These findings were confirmed by intra-arterial DSA.
CONCLUSIONS: Celiomesenteric trunk can be well delineated by 3D CE MRA. The image is correlated precisely with that from DSA.