A review of sonographic identification of abdominal blood vessels and juxtavascular organs.

Abdominal vasculature can be evaluated non-invasively using 2-D ultrasound imaging and Doppler ultrasonography. The identification of abdominal vessels using ultrasound is based on knowledge of their normal location, appearance and relationship to specific organs. Because anatomic location of major abdominal vessels is fairly consistent, finding and following vessels is a useful aid when attempting to locate and evaluate juxta-vascular organs. Sonographic vascular evaluation may be beneficial in providing information regarding central cardiovascular abnormalities, detection of abnormalities involving the vessel interrogated, or detection of abnormalities of the parenchymal bed that the vessel supplies. Knowledge of the location and appearance of the vessels is necessary for this information to be of diagnostic value. In this paper, abdominal vessels in the dog are reviewed and a sonographic map of major abdominal vessels is described. This includes the sonographic appearance of the aorta, caudal vena cava, and protal vein, their major branches and their anatomic relationship with adjacent organs. Identification of the medial iliac lymph nodes, mesenteric lymph nodes, abdominal esophagus, duodenum, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands and liver lobes are assisted by recognizing specific vascular landmarks. The locations and appearances of pertinent organs as pertains to abdominal vasculature (caudal vena cava and aorta) are described.