Liver & intrahepatic bile ducts

Vascular disorders

Vascular disorders-general


Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Debra L. Zynger, M.D.
Raul S. Gonzalez, M.D.

Last author update: 25 January 2021
Last staff update: 10 August 2022

Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Vascular disorders liver


Raul S. Gonzalez, M.D.
Page views in 2023: 1,922
Page views in 2024 to date: 468
Cite this page: Gonzalez R. Vascular disorders-general. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/livervasculargeneral.html. Accessed March 29th, 2024.
Definition / general
  • Vascular disorders affecting the liver can be systemic or localized and have intrinsic or extrinsic causes
  • Intrinsic causes:
  • Extrinsic disorders include heart failure, causing congestive hepatopathy
  • Normal liver is resistant to ischemia due to dual blood inflow (hepatic artery and portal vein)
  • Cirrhosis also causes vascular remodeling, though it is not generally considered a vascular disorder (J Hepatol 2014;61:912)
Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Inflow abnormalities often cause ischemic necrosis
  • Outflow abnormalities often cause sinusoidal dilation
  • Most other histologic changes depend on the causative disease
Microscopic (histologic) images

Contributed by Raul S. Gonzalez, M.D.

Ischemic necrosis

Sinusoidal dilatation

Sample pathology report
  • Liver, biopsy:
    • Liver parenchyma with prominent zone 3 sinusoidal dilation (see comment)
    • Comment: The findings are most consistent with outflow obstruction (e.g. congestive hepatopathy). Trichrome and iron stains are unremarkable.
Board review style question #1
Which of the following is true about vascular disorders involving the liver?

  1. Hepatic artery thrombosis only affects native livers
  2. Inflow abnormalities often cause sinusoidal dilation
  3. Outflow abnormalities often cause portal vein thrombosis
  4. The liver’s dual blood flow makes it resistant to ischemia
Board review style answer #1
D. The liver’s dual blood flow makes it resistant to ischemia

Comment Here

Reference: Vascular disorders-general
Back to top
Image 01 Image 02