The vascular lab (VL) is instrumental in diagnosing vascular diseases such as renal
artery stenosis and mesenteric ischemia or following a patient after transjugular
intrahepatic portal systemic shunt (TIPS) creation. This article discusses indications,
protocol, and diagnostic criteria for abdominal vascular ultrasound. The vascular
lab can be used to investigate pathology in the abdomen either as a preliminary screening
tool to evaluate for a pathology such as mesenteric artery stenosis in a patient with
food fear and weight loss, renal artery stenosis in a patient with refractory hypertension
or renal failure, or as a diagnostic tool in follow up after a patient has undergone
a transjugular intrahepatic portal systemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension.
The technical success of duplex ultrasonography of the abdomen can be compromised
by respiratory motion, obesity, and intestinal gas. Therefore, duplex scanning is
performed in the fasting state particularly in elective outpatient cases. In emergent
cases when pathology such as acute mesenteric ischemia is suspected evaluation with
CT angiography may be best.
Keywords
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Published online: September 05, 2022
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