Staining in the liver surrounding gallbladder fossa on hepatic arteriography caused by increased cystic venous drainage.

In 8 patients with gallbladder disease in whom no extension of the disease to the liver was confirmed by surgery, wedge-shaped (segmental) staining of the liver just adjacent to the gallbladder fossa (gallbladder bed) on hepatic arteriography was seen. This was always accompanied by definite visualization of the cystic veins with the drainage directed to the gallbladder bed and became most dense following the peak of the opacification of the cystic veins. We therefore concluded that the increased cystic venous drainage to the intrahepatic portal vein causes the staining in the nondiseased gallbladder bed on hepatic arteriography.