title: Hepatic inflow vessels caliber as an index for liver function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the serial change of the hepatic inflow vessels' caliber in the chronically diseased liver. We have analyzed the caliber change in patients with esophageal varices and examined relationship between hepatic inflow vessels diameter and age of patients who had no liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  (i) Diameters of the hepatic inflow vessels was measured on angiogram in five patients with chronic liver disease. They underwent liver angiography twice with an interval of more than 10 months. The caliber change was analyzed. (ii) Thirty-nine patients without chronic liver disease were analyzed to examine vessel diameter change with aging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (i) The left hepatic artery diameter increased in size during the follow-up periods. On the other hand, the portal vein caliber increased in three cases excluding two cases whose Child grade did not change from A. (ii) The hepatic artery and the portal vein diameter had a tendency to become smaller with aging in thirty-nine patients who underwent hepatic angiography and had no liver disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic inflow vessels' caliber change, particularly increase in hepatic artery diameter, has a potential of suggesting the liver function to some extent.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ezaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsudomi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohnari
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D012039:Regional Blood Flow