Effects of diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver on portal vein flow hemodynamics.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of various degrees of diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver on portal vein blood flow with Doppler sonography.


METHODS
One hundred forty subjects were examined with color and spectral Doppler sonography. The subjects were divided into 4 groups of 35 subjects each according to the degree (normal, grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3) of hepatic fatty infiltration assessed on gray-scale images. The portal vein pulsatility index (VPI) and time-averaged mean flow velocity (MFV) were calculated for each subject. VPI was calculated as (peak maximum velocity - peak minimum velocity) / peak maximum velocity.


RESULTS
VPI and MFV values were, respectively, 0.32 +/- 0.06 and 16.8 +/- 2.6 cm/second in the normal group, 0.27 +/- 0.07 and 14.2 +/- 2.2 cm/second in the group with grade 1 fatty infiltration, 0.22 +/- 0.06 and 12.2 +/- 1.8 cm/second in the group with grade 2 fatty infiltration, and 0.18 +/- 0.04 and 10.8 +/- 1.5 cm/second in the group with grade 3 fatty infiltration. There was a negative inverse correlation between the grade of fatty infiltration and both VPI (f = 55.3, p < 0.001) and MFV (f = 43.9, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The pulsatility index and mean velocity of the portal vein blood flow decrease as the severity of fatty infiltration increases.
Balci
Ali
A
Department of Radiology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Bağriyanik Mh. Uğur Mumcu Cad., 31100 Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
Karazincir
Sinem
S
Sumbas
Haldun
H
Oter
Yasemin
Y
Egilmez
Ertugrul
E
Inandi
Tacettin
T
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color