Abdominal anatomy Flashcards
The best patient prep for an abdominal ultrasound is:
Fat free, cream free, NPO after midnight
What is the largest artery in the body?
Abdominal aorta
What vessel lies posterior to the IVC?
Right renal artery
What artery supplies blood to the spleen?
Splenic artery
What vessel provides 80% of the blood to the liver?
Portal vein
How many layers do arteries and veins have?
Three
Name the largest vein in the body
Inferior vena cava
The flow of the portal vein is
Hepatopetal
The main portal vein is formed by the union of
The superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein
What structures size varies with respiration?
Veins
What vessel supplies blood to the stomach?
Gastric artery
What are the first two branches of the aorta?
Celiac, SMA
What is the normal orientation of the IVC and Aorta in the body?
The IVC is left of midline and the aorta is to the right
The celiac axis divides into the
Gastric, splenic, and hepatic
Where does the IVC terminate?
Right atrium
Superior mesenteric artery
Arises inferior to the celiac axis from the anterior wall of the aorta
Splenic artery
Arises from the celiac trunk to supply the spleen
Right renal artery
Arises from the lateral wall of the aorta and travels posterior to the inferior vena cava to enter the hilum of the kidney
Left renal artery
Arises from the lateral wall of the aorta directly into the hilum of the kidney
Inferior mesenteric artery
Arises from the anterior aortic wall at the level of the third or fourth lumbar vertebrae to supply the left transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon and rectum
Hepatic artery
Arises from the celiac trunk and courses to the right of the abdomen to supply blood to the largest organ in the right upper quadrant
Gastric artery
Small branch of the celiac axis that feeds the stomach
Celiac axis
First major anterior artery to arise from the abdominal aorta inferior to the diaphragm: It branches into the hepatic, splenic, and gastric arteries
Aorta
Largest arterial structure in the body: originates from the left ventricle of the heart
Inferior vena cava
originates at the confluence of the iliac veins and terminates into the right atrium
The smallest lobe of the liver that lies anterior to the inferior vena cave: superior border is the ligamentum venosum
Caudate lobe
The triad of the portal vein, common bile duct, and hepatic artery entering the liver is known as the
Portal hepatis
The central area of the spleen that allows the vascular and lymph structures to emerge or enter is the
Splenic hilum
The liver and portal veins are covered by
Glisson’s capsule
Which of the following is an echogenic linear structure found anterior to the caudate lobe and posterior to the left lobe of the liver
Ligamentum venosum
A triangular shaped echogenic structure seen within the left lobe of the liver: separates left lobe into medial and lateral segments
Ligamentum teres
A patient lying on his/her side, right side up, is in what position?
Left lateral decubitus
Where does the body of the pancreas lie in relation to the splenic vein?
Anterior
The portal confluence is formed by the splenic vein and the:
Superior mesenteric vein
The transducer typically selected for an upper abdominal ultrasound in a normal sized adult
2.5-5MHz
The main lobar fissure projects from:
The right portal vein to the neck of the gallbladder
What is the best patient position for imaging the abdominal aorta?
Supine
The echogenicity of the spleen should be compared to the
Liver
The portal veins carry blood from what to the liver
Intestines
The flow direction in the portal vein should be
Hepatopetal
Where does the right renal artery pass in relation to the inferior vena cava?
posterior
What vascular structure courses between the SMA and aorta?
Left renal vein
The IVC courses anterior to terminate at the
Right atrium
The liver is suspended from the diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall by the
Falciform ligament
Elevation of the ALK PHOS (alkaline phosphatase) is associated with
Hepatocellular disease
The right subhepatic space, a common space for peritoneal fluid or blood to collect is also called
Morison’s pouch
Where does the gallbladder lie in relation to the surface of the liver?
Visceral
What is the largest lobe of the liver?
Right
Reidels lobe of the liver is
A congenital variant where the liver can extend to the iliac crest
The main portal vein divides into the
Left and right portal veins
Hepatic veins drain the blood from the liver back to the
IVC
The primary functions of the liver
Metabolism, Digestion, Storage
Gallbladder
should be anechoic
should always be imaged in two patient positions to look for gallstones
consists of a neck, body, and fundus
Helpful in imaging the pancreas
Have the patient take in a deep breath to increase venous structures
Scan through the left lobe of the liver, so the liver acts as an acoustic window
Sit the patient upright and have them drink some water
Cholecystitis is inflammation of what organ
Gallbladder wall
The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney
True
The function of the kidneys is for blood production
False
The cortex makes up the outer parenchyma of the kidney
True
Calyces of the kidneys never can become obstructed
False
The pyramids of the kidney convey urine to the minor calyces
True
The cortex is the mid portion of the kidney where the renal vessels and ureter enter and exit
False
Two important lab tests for kidney function is the BUN and creatine
True
The liver and spleen should be used as acoustic windows while scanning the kidneys
True
The kidneys normally have fluid around them
False
The spleen is part of the reticulendothelial system
True
The spleen is the largest mass of lymphoid tissue in the body
True
The spleen is active in blood formation during the initial part of fetal life and gradually decreases this function about the 5th or 6th month
True
The spleen is a major cause of most malignancies
False
For the diagnosis of splenomegaly, the spleen must measure over 13cm
True
Glisson’s capsule covers the spleen
False
Longitudinal scans presents the patients head to the left of the screen and the patients feet to the right side of the screen
True
All transverse scans are oriented with the liver on the right side of the screen
False
The area superior to the liver that is not covered by peritoneum so the IVC may enter the chest is known as the bare area
True
The ureters transport urine from the kidneys into the urinary bladder
True
Since the bladder is fluid filled, it should appear as an anechoic structure on ultrasound
True
The hepatic veins are divided into three components
left, right, middle
Patients should be instructed to not anything for how long before an abdominal ultrasound procedure for optimum imaging
8 hours
Variations in patient’s respiration may also help to eliminate what type of interference to improve image quality
rib and/or bowel/gas
The pancreas consists of what
head, body, and tail
What is pancreatitis?
inflammation of the pancreas
Hepatocyte is a parenchymal cell that performs all functions of what organ
liver
In color Doppler imaging, what is flow toward the probe and flow away from the transducer?
Flow toward the probe is positive or above the baseline
Flow away from the transducer is negative or below the baseline
The liver is the largest organ next to what
skin
The hepatic artery supplies aprox how much blood to the liver
20%
Where do the splenic artery and the splenic vein lie in relation to the pancreas?
splenic artery lies anterior and the splenic vein lies posterior
