Portal venous flow (ultrasonography-Doppler) in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis Flujo venoso portal (ultrasonografía-Doppler) en pacientes cirróticos alcohólicos.

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the ultrasonographic (echo-Doppler) measurements of portal blood flow their results were compared with several clinical and biochemical parameters in alcoholic cirrhotic patients. The technique was standardized and its reproducibility was checked in 30 cirrhotics and in 20 control subjects. In controls, portal area was greater when measured on its transversal axis and in deep inspiration. In cirrhotics the area did not change neither according to the axis nor the respiratory movements. The estimated velocity of blood flow was dependent on the angle of insonation. Measurements performed on longitudinal axis, at 50 degrees in expiratory apnea showed, in the same subject, an interday variability of 7%. In cirrhotic patients portal blood flow was higher than in controls (0.93 +/- 0.32 L/min vs 0.64 +/- 0.12, p < 0.001) being the difference due to a greater area. Considering controls and Child's A and B cirrhotic patients, portal blood flow correlated