Splanchnic hemodynamics in idiopathic portal hypertension: comparison with chronic persistent hepatitis

A comparative study of splanchnic hemodynamics was made in 12 patients with idiopathic portal hypertension and in eight patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, but without portal hypertension, who served as the control. Venous pressures were measured by portal and hepatic vein catheterizations, blood flow by the pulsed Doppler flowmeter, and organ volume by computed tomography. Splenic artery blood flow was 788 +/- 242 ml/min in idiopathic portal hypertension and about four times that in chronic persistent hepatitis (215 +/- 42 ml/min), whereas there was no difference in superior mesenteric artery blood flow between the former and the latter (408 +/- 142 vs. 389 +/- 32 ml/min). Spleen volume in idiopathic portal hypertension was six times that in chronic persistent hepatitis, and splenic artery blood flow showed a significant linear correlation with spleen volume in idiopathic portal hypertension (r = 0.71, p less than 0.02). The sum of splenic artery blood flow and superior mesenteric artery blood flow in idiopathic portal hypertension was 1195 +/- 294 ml/min, twice that in chronic persistent hepatitis (603 +/- 109 ml/min). Portal vascular resistance and intrahepatic portal vascular resistance were three times and four times those in chronic persistent hepatitis, respectively. These results indicate that both increased intrahepatic portal vascular resistance and increased splenic artery blood flow may play roles in the development of portal hypertension in idiopathic portal hypertension.