Role of echo Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of postprandial hyperemia in cirrhotic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of echo-Doppler ultrasonography in postprandial hyperemia in cirrhotic patients by comparing the results with the hepatic vein catheterization technique.


METHODS
Patients with cirrhosis, admitted to the portal hemodynamic laboratory were included into the study. After an overnight fast, echo-Doppler ultrasonography (basal and 30 min after a standard meal) and hemodynamic studies by hepatic vein catheterization (basal, 15 min and 30 min after a standard meal) were performed. Ensure Plus (Abbot Laboratories, North Chicago, IL) was used as the standard liquid meal. Correlation analysis of the echo-Doppler and hepatic vein catheterization measurements were done for the basal and postprandial periods.


RESULTS
Eleven patients with cirrhosis (5 Child A, 4 Child B, 2 Child C) were enrolled into the study. After the standard meal, 8 of the 11 patients showed postprandial hyperemia with increase in portal blood flow, portal blood velocity and hepatic venous pressure gradient. Hepatic venous pressure gradient in the postprandial period correlated positively with postprandial portal blood velocity (r = 0.8, P < 0.05) and correlated inversely with postprandial superior mesenteric artery pulsatility index (r = -1, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Postprandial hyperemia can be efficiently measured by echo-Doppler ultrasonography and the results are comparable to those obtained with the hemodynamic studies.
Ozdogan
Osman
O
Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. osmanozdogan@yahoo.com
Atalay
Huseyin
H
Cimsit
Cagatay
C
Tahan
Veysel
V
Tokay
Sena
S
Giral
Adnan
A
Imeryuz
Nese
N
Baltacioglu
Feyyaz
F
Tuney
Davut
D
Erzen
Canan
C
Tozun
Nurdan
N
D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler