Duplex Doppler sonography in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Angiography has been the mainstay for diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome even though other modalities are increasingly being used. We have evaluated our findings of duplex Doppler sonography (DDS) in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome.


METHODS
Duplex Doppler sonography was performed in 37 consecutive angiographically proven patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome.


RESULTS
Real time ultrasonography showed abnormalities of right, middle and left hepatic veins (HV) in 21, 15 and 18 patients, respectively. Duplex Doppler sonography showed abnormal flow patterns in 37, 22 and 31 patients in the right, middle and left HV, respectively, thereby increasing the diagnostic yield by 40%. An abnormal waveform in one or more HV was present in all 37 patients. Uniphasic flow was the commonest abnormality and was seen in 22, nine and 14 patients, respectively, in the right, middle and left HV, while there was no flow in five, four and seven patients in the right, middle and left HV, respectively. Intrahepatic collaterals were seen in 35 of 37 patients (94.6%). Hepatopetal flow was found in the portal vein of 21 of 23 patients (91.3%), while flow was hepatofugal in one and portal vein thrombosis was found in another.


CONCLUSIONS
Duplex Doppler sonography is a useful procedure which helps in the diagnosis of patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome.
Chawla
Y
Y
Department of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. medinst@pgi.chd.nic.in
Kumar
S
S
Dhiman
R K
RK
Suri
S
S
Dilawari
J B
JB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging