[Doppler ultrasonic evaluation of hepatic functional reserve]

Ultrasonic Doppler measurement of the blood flow in the portal vein and hepatic artery was conducted to evaluate the function and functional reserve of the liver in 146 patients with various forms of cholangitis combined with biliary cirrhosis and hepatic insufficiency. The functional reserve of the liver was judged by comparison of the basic blood flow on a fasting stomach with the blood flow after a functional histamine load. Five types of responses of the portal vein blood flow to the functional load according to the degree of disturbed hepatic function were revealed. Comparison of the flow of blood along the portal vein in healthy individuals with that in patients with diabetes mellitus and a formed splenorenal shunt showed that disconnection of the blood flow from the splenic vein has no effect on the flow of blood in the portal vein. The latter is regulated at the level of microcirculation in the liver, which is confirmed by the correlation between the blood flow in the portal vein and in the hepatic artery.