[Blood flow dynamics of the portal venous system in liver cirrhosis using pulse Doppler method]

Blood flow dynamics of the portal venous system including portal vein, splenic and superior mesenteric arteries, in thirty seven cases with liver cirrhosis and 32 controls were studied by means of the pulse doppler method. Maximum blood flow velocity of the main portal vein in liver cirrhosis was 0.21 m/sec in mean, significantly lower than in controls. Blood flow volume of the portal vein in liver cirrhosis was 18.9 ml/min.kg, which was a significant increase compared with that of controls. The cases of liver cirrhosis showed an increased blood flow volume of the splenic and superior mesenteric arteries, showing an increased pre-load to the spleen. In 5 cases, liver volume measured by computed tomography was not changed despite of an increase of the main portal venous flow volume. Three of these 5 cases were of more advanced liver cirrhosis with over 40 percent of ICG value. They bend to have higher portal venous velocity than the other cases with less advanced liver cirrhosis. No correlation of the splenic arterial flow volume and the spleen volume was thought to indicate after-load to the spleen as a factor of splenic enlargement.