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Diagnostic value of Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of liver cirrhosis in children: Histopathological correlation
Author(s) -
Gorka Waldemar,
Kagalwalla Amir,
McParland Brian J.,
Kagalwalla Yasmeen,
Al Zaben Abdullah
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0096(199607/08)24:6<287::aid-jcu2>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - medicine , cirrhosis , ultrasound , radiology , doppler ultrasound , portal hypertension , liver biopsy , liver disease , gastroenterology , biopsy
We have correlated flow abnormalities in the hepatic vasculature with histological findings in the liver to determine the accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in children. Eighteen children admitted for evaluation of unknown liver disease were examined prospectively and blindly with Doppler ultrasound prior to liver biopsy. Biopsy specimens showed established cirrhosis in 9 of 18, early cirrhosis in 5 of 18, and no cirrhosis in 4 of 18 children. Doppler studies were also performed on 20 control subjects. The portal vein velocity was decreased ( p < 0.0005) and the arterio‐portal velocity ratio was increased ( p < 0.0005) in the established cirrhosis cohort relative to the controls. For the criteria of the established cirrhosis cohort, the sensitivities of the loss of the reverse flow component in the hepatic veins, the arterio‐portal velocity ratio being greater than 3.0, the portal vein velocity being less than 20 cm/s, and the existence of focal flow acceleration in the hepatic veins were 100%, 78%, 67%, and 44%, respectively. The specificity of all of these criteria was 100%. The indicators were not useful in the diagnosis of early cirrhosis. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.