Case-control study of calcification of the hepatic artery in chronic hemodialysis patients: comparison with the abdominal aorta and splenic artery

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies of the hepatic artery are scarce. We have observed that hepatic artery calcification is very uncommon in patients with hyperparathyroidism that expedites calcification. METHODS: Plain abdominal CT was studied in 221 patients on chronic hemodialysis. Control consisted of 442 sex- and age-matched patients with other diseases. Calcification was graded as a percentage of the entire wall circumference for the aorta, and as a percentage of the entire length of the hepatic and splenic arteries from the celiac trunk to the hilum of each organ. RESULTS: Aortic calcification was seen in 79.2% of male dialysis patients, 22.1% of controls, 74.1% of female dialysis patients and 17.3% of controls (P < 0.0001). Hepatic artery calcification was seen in only 13 dialysis patients. The degree of calcification of the abdominal aorta was correlated with the length of hemodialysis period (P = 0.008), but not with serum calcium, serum phosphate or their product. Although serum parathormone levels were not correlated with calcification, seven of eight dialysis patients with hepatic artery calcification had very high parathormone levels. CONCLUSIONS: The hepatic artery is far less frequently calcified than are the abdominal aorta and splenic artery. This may be a teleologic phenomenon of the liver.