[Importance of duplex velocity histograms in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis].
OBJECTIVE
A prospective study was carried out to determine the diagnostic value of velocity histograms of hepatic veins in patients with liver cirrhosis and healthy subjects.


METHODS
The hepatic veins of ten healthy subjects and ten patients with liver cirrhosis were examined by the Doppler method. The velocity histogram measures the velocity variation at a defined area in the duplex tracing. Within this tracing, the peak, mean, mode and velocity range were measured.


RESULTS
A velocity range of 0.02 +/- 0.015 m/s was examined in healthy subjects, and a range of 0.06 +/- 0.013 was examined in liver cirrhosis patients (p < 0.001). The other measurement options showed no significant changes between the healthy subjects and the liver cirrhosis patients (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Until now, differentiation of the hepatic vein tracings was possible only on a qualitative basis. With the assessment of the velocity range it is possible to obtain a more objective differentiation between the duplex tracing in hepatic veins of liver cirrhosis patients and healthy subjects.
Teichgräber
U K
UK
Abreilung für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover.
Gebel
M
M
Hecker
H
H
Benter
T
T
Manns
M P
MP
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex