Portal triad

The portal triad is a crucial anatomical structure within the liver, essential for understanding abdominal ultrasound images. It comprises three vital components: the hepatic portal vein, hepatic artery, and common bile duct, all encased in a fibrous sheath. Visualizing the portal triad is fundamental for diagnosing various liver pathologies, including cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and biliary obstructions.

In medical ultrasound, the portal triad is a key landmark for orienting and assessing liver health. Sonographers meticulously examine its size, flow dynamics, and echogenicity to identify abnormalities. Accurate identification and interpretation of the portal triad on abdominal ultrasound scans are indispensable for precise diagnosis and management of hepatobiliary conditions.

Clinical Author

Bruno Vargas is originally from Mexico City. He first trained as an Emergency Medical Technician at la Universidad Panamericana (UP) before starting medical school at la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. Later he did his social service year in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas with Partners in Health Mexico/Compañeros en Salud (CES) in 2019, where he was trained in Global Health, social medicine, and introduced to Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). At that moment while working in a resource-limited setting he became passionate about POCUS. He graduated as a general practitioner, and afterward stayed with CES during the pandemic as part of the COVID-19 task force, training community healthcare workers and “pasantes” (first-year doctors doing their year of social service). He finished the Ultrasound Leadership Academy (ULA) fellowship and has started a POCUS training program at his site with midwives, nurses, doctors, and trainees from these areas. He is currently doing a Global Health Fellowship with HEAL as a site fellow in Chiapas with CES. He has committed to a lifelong career in global health providing healthcare access to the most marginalized communities. He has a profound respect and admiration for nature and loves any kind of outdoor activities, especially bicycling, high mountain, and scuba-diving.

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