title: Effects of diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver on portal vein flow hemodynamics.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Bağriyanik Mh. Uğur Mumcu Cad., 31100 Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balci
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karazincir
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumbas
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oter
authors.forename: Ertugrul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egilmez
authors.forename: Tacettin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inandi
mesh_terms: 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