Superior vena caval obstruction noted on hepatic flow study

Standard liver/spleen imaging procedures often include dynamic, flow, images of abdominal perfusion. These flow studies may help characterize focal defects found on delayed images. For example, malignant lesions, especially hepatomas, may have rapid flow compared with that of the remainder of the liver. Other lesions, such as cysts, infarctions, and abscesses, will frequently exhibit decreased flow. However, extrahepatic abnormalities, such as the obstructed superior vena cava (SVC) presented here, may also be demonstrated. Additional extrahepatic abnormalities that have been described include pericardial effusions, aortic aneurysms, gastrointestinal bleeding, and others.