title: Portal vein pulsatility ratio provides a measure of right heart function in chronic heart failure.
abstract: Portal vein flow was recorded by color Doppler sonography in 31 patients with chronic heart failure and 18 control subjects. Compared with patients showing a forward flow (Group A), those with reversed portal vein flow (Group B) had higher prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation (75% vs. 43%), hepatic congestion (100% vs. 30%) and ascites (50% vs. 18%), and showed higher right atrial pressure (25.3 +/- 3.01 mmHg vs. 11.8 +/- 5.75 mmHg, p < 0.01). In controls, portal vein pulsatility ratio was 0.66 +/- 0.08, in Group A it was 0.46 +/- 0.28 (p < 0.01), in Group B -0.60 +/- 0.19 (p < 0.01). Portal vein pulsatility ratio negatively correlated with right atrial pressure (r = -0.87; p < 0.01). In Group A, hepatic congestion, ascites and tricuspid regurgitation were associated with a higher portal vein pulsatility. This study indicates that portal vein pulsatility ratio reflects the level of impairment of the right heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rengo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brevetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Amato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imparato
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acanfora
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rengo
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right