Computed tomographic manifestations of celiac ganglia between hypertensive and non‐hypertensive population

Abstract

Abstract The celiac ganglion (CG) is associated with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The characteristics of the CG in patients with hypertension remain unknown. The aim of our study was to explore the differences in celiac ganglia (CGs) characteristics between hypertensive and non‐hypertensive populations using computed tomography (CT). CGs manifestations on multidetector row CT in 1003 patients with and without hypertension were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological characteristics and CT values of the left CGs were recorded. The CT values of the ipsilateral adrenal gland (AG) and crus of the diaphragm (CD) were also measured. The left CG was located between the left AG and CD, and most CGs were long strips. The frequency of visualization of the left CGs was higher in the hypertension group than in the non‐hypertension group (p .05). Except for the left CG in the arterial phase, the CT values of the left CG and AG in the non‐hypertensive group were higher than those in the hypertension group (p < .05). The venous phase enhancement of the left CG in the non‐hypertension group was significantly higher than that in the hypertension group (p < .05). Our findings reveal that CGs have characteristic manifestations in the hypertensive population. As important targets of the SNS, CGs have the potential to regulate blood pressure.

Keywords

• celiac ganglia
• computed tomography
• hypertension
• sympathetic nervous system