Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity in patients with cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Brain dysfunction is common in patients with advanced liver disease; it is often manifested as hepatic encephalopathy, but its cause is not clearly understood.


METHODS
Intracranial blood flow velocity parameters, including peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity and mean velocity of both middle cerebral arteries were measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in 37 patients with cirrhosis without encephalopathy (16 Child's A, 10 Child's B and 11 Child's C) and 12 normal controls. The cause was alcohol-related in 24 and non-alcohol-related in 13.


RESULTS
No significant differences in any of the Doppler parameters were detected in Child's group A when compared with controls. However, a statistically significant decrease in middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity was evident when Child's B and C patients without clinically apparent encephalopathy were compared with controls irrespective of the cause. Our results demonstrate that intracranial blood flow is abnormal in patients with advanced liver disease without clinically apparent encephalopathy.
Dillon
J F
JF
Department of Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
Plevris
J N
JN
Wong
F C
FC
Chan
K H
KH
Lo
N T
NT
Miller
J D
JD
Bouchier
I A
IA
Hayes
P C
PC
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial