In patients with portal hypertension small anastomoses develop between the veins of the portal system and the veins of the systemic circulation. These portosystemic anastomoses are usually of little consequence; however, at the gastroesophageal junction, they lie in a submucosal and mucosal position and are subject to trauma. Torrential hemorrhage may occur from even minor trauma, and death may ensue following blood loss. These varices require urgent treatment, which includes injecting sclerosant substances, banding, and even surgical ligation.
Fortunately, most of the other portosystemic anastomoses are of relatively little consequence. In patients with colostomies, small veins may develop between the veins of the large bowel (portal system drainage) and cutaneous veins on the anterior abdominal wall (systemic veins). If these veins become enlarged because of portal hypertension, they are subject to trauma as feces are passed through the colostomy. Torrential hemorrhage may ensue if they are damaged.
A procedure was carried out to lower the portal pressure.
To reduce the pressure in the portal vein in this patient, several surgical procedures were considered. These included sewing the side of the portal vein onto the inferior vena cava (portacaval shunt) and sewing the splenic vein onto the renal vein (a splenorenal shunt). These procedures, however, require a large abdominal incision and are extremely complex. As an alternative, it was decided to create a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.
Creating a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is a relatively new technique that may be carried out under local anesthesia. Using a right internal jugular approach, a long needle is placed through the internal jugular vein, the superior vena cava, and the right atrium, into the inferior vena cava. The right hepatic vein is cannulated and, with special steering wires, a needle is passed through the hepatic substance directly into the right branch of the portal vein. A small balloon is passed over the wire and through the hepatic substance and is inflated. After the balloon has been removed, a metallic stent (a flexible wire tube) is placed across this tract in the liver to keep it open. Blood now freely flows from the portal vein into the right hepatic vein, creating a portosystemic shunt.
As a result of this procedure, the pressure in this patient’s portal system is lower and similar to that of the systemic venous system, so reducing the potential for bleeding at the portosystemic anastomoses (i.e., the colostomy).
A 62-year-old man came to the emergency department with swelling of both legs and a large left varicocele (enlarged and engorged varicose veins around the left testis and within the left pampiniform plexus of veins).
The patient was known to have a left renal cell carcinoma and was due to have this operated on the following week.
Anatomically it is possible to link all of the findings with the renal cell carcinoma by knowing the biology of the tumor.
Renal cell carcinoma tends to grow steadily and predictably. Typically, when the tumor is less than 3 to 4 cm, it remains confined to the kidney. Large tumors have the propensity to grow into the renal vein, the inferior vena cava and the right atrium and through the heart into the pulmonary artery.
The tumor grew into the renal vein.
As the tumor grew into the renal vein it blocked off all tributaries draining into the vein, the largest of which is the left testicular vein. This blockage of the left testicular vein caused a dilation of the veins around the left testis (a varicocele occurred).
The swollen legs were accounted for by caval obstruction.