Ultrasonography is an imaging modality widely used to evaluate venous diseases of the lower extremities. It is important to understand the normal venous anatomy of the lower extremities, which has deep, superficial, and perforating venous components, in order to determine the pathophysiology of venous disease. This review provides a basic description of the anatomy of the lower extremity veins and useful techniques for approaching each vein via ultrasonography.
Lower Extremity* ; Ultrasonography* ; Veins*

Mondor's disease is commonly known as thrombophlebitis of the superficial vein in the breast, and this disease occurs rarely in the penis. Despite extensive information about the clinical presentation and course of this disease, imaging findings for this disease are limited. We report gray scale and power Doppler sonographic findings of penile Mondor's disease.
Breast ; Male ; Penis ; Thrombophlebitis* ; Ultrasonography ; Veins*

Aneurysmal malformation of the portal vein is a rare entity. To our knowledge, only scattered reports ofportal vein aneurysms appear in the literature in English, and there is no previously published report in Korean.We describe a case exhibiting aneurysmal malformation of the extrahepatic portal vein at the hepatic hilum; thefindings demonstrated by ultrasound, CT and angiography are discussed, a review of previously described cases isincluded.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Portal Vein* ; Ultrasonography ; Veins

Varix of the intraabdominal portion of the fetal umbilical vein is a rare entity. We present a case of varix of the intrafetal umbilical vein diagnosed by routine prenatal ultrasonography at 35 weeks of gestation. Color Doppler examination of the abnormal umbilical vein demonstrated turbulent flow through 23-mm diameter cystic dilatation of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein consistent with a varix. No other sonographic abnormalities were detected, and a healthy infant was delivered at term.
Dilatation ; Humans ; Infant ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Umbilical Veins* ; Varicose Veins*

To investigate the value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), 16 patients in our hospital were diagnosed to have TAPVC by echocardiography from year 1994 to 2001. In 11 cases the results of echocardiography were compared to those of surgery. Each patient was examined by using a combination of precordial, suprasternal and subcostal windows to visualize all the pulmonary veins and their drainage sites, common pulmonary venous trunk, and other associated abnormalities. Of the 16 cases, the drainage sites were as follow: supracardiac in 10, via vertical vein in 9, directly to superior vena cava in 1; cardiac in 5, via coronary sinus in 2, directly to right atrium in 3. Diagnoses were correctly made in all the 11 cases as confirmed by surgery. Echocardiography can also assess pulmonary arterial pressure and detect other associated abnormalities. It is concluded that echocardiography is the preferred examination method in the diagnosis of TAPVC before surgery. With careful examination using multiple windows and sections, TAPVC can be accurately diagnosed by echocardiography.
*Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Heart Defects, Congenital/*ultrasonography ; Pulmonary Veins/*abnormalities ; Pulmonary Veins/ultrasonography

We experienced a case in which a central venous catheter (CVC) was misplaced into the wrong vein, which was mistaken for the internal jugular vein (IJV), identified by chest x-ray and ultrasound. The vertebral vein passes through the transverse foramina from the atlas to the 6th cervical vertebra. After exiting the transverse foramen of the 6th vertebra, the vein subsequently runs anterolateral to the vertebral artery and posterior to the IJV and drains the innominate vein. In this case, chest x-ray and ultrasound revealed that the inserted CVC had a course very similar to the vertebral vein. The misplacement of a CVC into the vertebral vein might occur from excessive rotation of the patient's head, which leads to alterations in the cervical vascular anatomy, and from deep insertion of the puncture needle. Therefore, it is advised, for safe CVC insertion, to minimize a patient's head rotation and to make use of ultrasound when the anatomical structures cannot be clearly identified.
Brachiocephalic Veins ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Head ; Jugular Veins ; Needles ; Punctures ; Spine ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Veins* ; Vertebral Artery

The authors report a patient with a small traumatic cirsoid aneurysm of the scalp, diagnosed by duplex doppler ultrasonography. This 15-year-old boy was diagnosed as a cirsoid aneurysm by duplex doppler ultrasonogram which revealed an ovoid cystic lesion at left temporal area of scalp containing vascular flow mapping. The gross appearance showed an aneurysm with arteriovenous fistula, consisting of two feeding arteries and two draining veins. Total removal of mass was made and the histological examination revealed an aneurysm which showing irregular contour of inner surface and thickened fibrotic vascular wall without normal arterial layers. Noninvasive duplex doppler ultrasonography before surgical excision or direct puncture embolization of cirsoid aneurysms of the scalp could be recommended as an alternative management option.
Adolescent ; Aneurysm* ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Humans ; Male ; Punctures ; Scalp* ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: To define the anatomy of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LABCN) and the cephalic vein (CV) in the anterior forearm region of living humans using ultrasonography for preventing LABCN injury during cephalic venipuncture. METHODS: Thirty forearms of 15 healthy volunteers were evaluated using ultrasonography to identify the point where the LABCN begins to contact with the CV, and the point where the LABCN separates from the CV. The LABCN pathway in the forearm in relation to a nerve conduction study was also evaluated. RESULTS: The LABCNs came in contact with the CV at a mean of 0.6±1.6 cm distal to the elbow crease, and separated from the CV at a mean of 7.0±3.4 cm distal to the elbow crease. The mean distance between the conventionally used recording points (point R) for the LABCN conduction study and the actual sonographic measured LABCN was 2.4±2.4 mm. LABCN usually presented laterally at the point R (83.3%). CONCLUSION: The LABCN had close proximity to the CV in the proximal first quarter of the forearm. Cephalic venipuncture in this area should be avoided, and performed with caution if needed.
Elbow ; Forearm ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Neural Conduction ; Phlebotomy ; Ultrasonography ; Veins*

Esophagogastric varices are considered to be the most common complication in patients with portal hypertension. Among ectopic varices, rectal varices are infrequent but potentially serious complication. The etiology and pathogenesis of rectal varices remains controversial. Several kinds of treatment have been performed but standard treatment for rectal varices has not been established. Herein we report a case of rectal varix bleeding treated with endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) and then evaluated by transrectal color doppler ultrasonography.
Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Ligation* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Varicose Veins*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anatomic relationship between the superficial radial nerve (SRN) and the cephalic vein (CV) through ultrasonography due to the possibility of SRN injury during cephalic venipuncture. METHODS: Both forearms of 51 healthy volunteers with no history of trauma or surgery were examined in proximal to distal direction using ultrasonography. We measured the distance between the radial styloid process (RSP) and the point where the SRN begins contact with the CV, and measured the distance between the RSP and the point where the SRN is separated from the CV. The point where the SRN penetrates the brachioradialis fascia was also evaluated. RESULTS: The SRN came in contact with the CV at a mean of 9.35+/-1.05 cm from the RSP and separated from the CV at a mean of 6.29+/-1.17 cm from the RSP. The SRN pierced the brachioradialis fascia at a mean of 10.31+/-0.89 cm from the RSP and horizontally 1.35+/-0.36 cm medial to the radius margin. All parameters had no significant differences in gender or direction. CONCLUSION: The SRN had close approximation to the CV in the distal second quarter of the forearm. We recommend for cephalic venipuncture to be avoided in this area, and, if needed, it should be carried out with care not to cause injury to the SRN.
Fascia ; Forearm ; Healthy Volunteers ; Phlebotomy ; Radial Nerve* ; Radius ; Ultrasonography ; Veins*