No Plaque Detected in the Proper Hepatic Artery: A Comparison with Other Abdominal Arteries
Bratislava Medical Journal, cilt.127, sa.6, ss.2348-2360, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 127 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s44411-026-00624-z
- Dergi Adı: Bratislava Medical Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.2348-2360
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Atherosclerosis, Common Hepatic Artery, Hepatic Steatosis, Proper Hepatic Artery, The Hepatic Artery
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Although clinically overt events directly attributable to hepatic artery atherosclerosis have rarely been reported, imaging-based evidence regarding the relative resistance of the hepatic artery to atherosclerosis remains limited. Objectives: This study aimed to quantify hepatic arterial plaque burden in comparison with other abdominal arteries, and to determine whether imaging-based hepatic steatosis (HS) influences this pattern across age groups. Methods: Abdominal CT angiography scans of 109 adults aged 40–80 years were retrospectively analyzed. A standardized, software-independent scoring method was used to quantify plaque burden in eight abdominal arterial territories, and plaque burden patterns were also evaluated according to HS status. Results: No plaque was detected in the proper hepatic artery (PHA) in this study population. The common hepatic artery (CHA) exhibited significantly lower plaque burden than the abdominal aorta, superior mesenteric, splenic, and renal arteries (all p < 0.05). No association between HS and plaque burden was identified in the overall study population. After age stratification, exploratory differences were observed in the abdominal aorta and left renal artery among individuals ≤ 60 years and in the superior mesenteric artery among those > 60 years. Conclusion: The hepatic artery demonstrated a relatively plaque-sparing pattern, with no plaque detected in the PHA and significantly lower plaque burden in the CHA than in several other abdominal arteries. These findings suggest that the hepatic artery may be relatively less affected by atherosclerosis than several other abdominal arterial territories.