Assessment of portal hemodynamics by ultrasound color Doppler and laser Doppler velocimetry in liver cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Color Doppler is a noninvasive method for assessing portal hemodynamics. Laser Doppler velocimetry is useful in assessment of microcirculatory abnormalities in portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG).


OBJECTIVE
To study portal hemodynamics by color Doppler and gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) by laser Doppler velocimetry in patients with cirrhosis.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with cirrhosis of liver (24 men) and 10 healthy subjects (7 men) were studied. Portal venous blood flow (PVBF) and portal flow velocity (PFV) were assessed by color Doppler at the level where the hepatic artery crosses the portal vein, and GMBF was measured by laser Doppler velocimetry.


RESULTS
PVBF (379.5 [102.9] mL/min), PFV (5.3 [1.1] cm/sec) and GMBF (3.5 [0.8] volts) were significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis than in controls. PVBF and PFV were significantly lower in patients in Child class B and C than those in class A. Patients with ascites had significantly lower PVBF, PFV and GMBF than those without; values were also lower in patients with PHG than in those without. History of bleeding had no relation with PVBF and PFV. GMBF showed good correlation with PVBF (r=0.58, p<0.001) and with PFV (r=0.48, p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In cirrhosis of liver, PVBF, PFV and GMBF are significantly lower, and the changes increase with increasing severity of liver disease.
Vyas
Kaushal
K
Department of Gastroenterology, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Hospital, Mumbai.
Gala
Bharat
B
Sawant
Prabha
P
Das
Haribhakti Seba
HS
Kulhalli
Prabhakar M
PM
Mahajan
Shriram S
SS
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D017082:Portal Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*