1983 Volume 24 Issue 12 Pages 1392-1401
Intrahepatic collateral pathways of the liver with Idiopathic Portal Hypertension (IPH) were studied pathomorphologically.
Increase of vascular channels in the large portal tract (cavernomatous transformation) was seen in 7 of 15 autopsy livers with IPH. These vascular channels anastomose each other and form plexus and mainly receive portal blood.
Dilated vessels adjacent to the portal tract and in the hepatic lobule (so-called averrant vasculature) are part of the intrahepatic collateral circulation. Aberrant vasculature terminates into the sinusoids and plays a more important role in blood supply to the hepatic parenchyma than the hepatic artery.
These vasculatures compensate for portal circulatory insufficiency due to obliteration of portal branches. It is predicted that the development of these collateral vessels is initiated by the obliteration of portal branches and is accelerated by portal hypertension or high portal inflow and/or regenerative mechanism toward partial parenchymal atrophy.
