title: Doppler ultrasound of the hepatic veins: normal appearances.
abstract: Doppler ultrasound of the hepatic veins gives a pulsatile velocity profile which mirrors the cardiac cycle. We describe the physiological basis for the complex waveform and suggest a venous pulsatility index (VPI) which can be used to quantify it. We have studied normal volunteers under differing conditions to establish a normal range of VPI. This provides a baseline against which abnormal patterns of hepatic vein Doppler can be judged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Coulden
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lomas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farman
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Britton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography