Anatomy of the patent ductus venosus in the cat

• Published in: Journal of feline medicine and surgery 2001-12, Vol.3 (4), p.229-233
• Main Authors: White, RN, Burton, CA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cat Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Cat Diseases - pathology; Cat Diseases - surgery; Cats; Hepatic Veins - abnormalities; Hepatic Veins - pathology; Phlebography - veterinary; Portal System - abnormalities; Portal System - pathology; Portal Vein - abnormalities; Portal Vein - pathology; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical - veterinary; Records - veterinary; Surgery, Veterinary - methods; Umbilical Veins - abnormalities; Umbilical Veins - pathology; Vascular Diseases - pathology; Vascular Diseases - surgery; Vascular Diseases - veterinary; Vena Cava, Inferior - abnormalities; Vena Cava, Inferior - pathology
• ISSN: 1098-612X; 1532-2750
• DOI: 10.1053/jfms.2001.0139

The biplanar mesenteric vein portovenograms of 10 cats with left divisional intrahepatic portosystemic shunts consistent with a patent ductus venosus (PDV) were reviewed. A corrosion cast of the hepatic portal vasculature was made post mortem from one individual that died post operatively following surgical attenuation of the shunting vessel. On the basis of the combined surgical, post mortem and imaging data, these left divisional shunts were found to have consistent anatomy, each having a straight vessel which drained into a venous ampulla before draining into the caudal vena cava at the level of the diaphragm. The left phrenic vein and left hepatic vein both entered the ampulla independently of the shunting vessel. The anatomical similarity between these findings in the cat and the PDV in the dog suggest that it is appropriate to describe this particular portosystemic shunt as a PDV.