EVALUATION OF HEPATIC CIRCULATION IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS

June 1, 2012

Lazăr I.M. 1, 2, Ștefan M. 2, Aramă Victoria 1, 2, Ion I.F. Daniela Adriana 2
1 National Institute for Infectious Diseases Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”
2 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila
3 Polytechnic University of Bucharest

Abstract

We present a retrospective study effectuated on 207 patients aged between 22 and 84 years, diagnosed with cirrhosis by liver biopsy. All the patients were evaluated by ultrasound, measuring the hemodynamic parameters (portal flow velocity, endsystolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity in the hepatic artery), flow pattern in portal vein and hepatic veins, dimensions of portal vein, splenic vein and superior mesenteric vein and hepatic artery. The obtained data were associated with the stage of the disease in order to establish correlations with the ultrasound evaluation. The results showed an increased velocity in the hepatic artery following the severity of the cirrhosis, while the variation of portal flow velocity presented no statistical relevance for different stages of disease. The hepatofugal portal flow pattern and monophasic flow pattern in the hepatic veins were correlated with severe forms of cirrhosis.