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Sizing up portal hypertension: Better noninvasive methods are needed
Author(s) -
Sovak Milog
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840070435
Subject(s) - medicine , portal hypertension , cirrhosis , portal venous pressure , liver disease , cardiology , chronic liver disease , hemodynamics , gastroenterology
The “congestion index” is used to mean the ratio between the cross‐sectional area (cm 2 ) and the blood flow velocity (cm/sec) of the portal vein, as determined by a duplex Doppler system. The indices as determined in normal subjects and patients with liver disease were as follows: normal subjects ( n = 85), 0.070 ± 0.029 cm × sec; acute hepatitis ( n = 11), 0.071 ± 0.014 cm × sec; chronic active hepatitis ( n = 42), 0.119 ± 0.084 cm × sec; cirrhosis ( n = 72), 0.171 ± 0.075 cm × sec; and idiopathic portal hypertension ( n = 11), 0.180 ± 0.107 cm × sec. There was a statistically significant difference between the congestion indices from the normal subject group and indices obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and idiopathic portal hypertension. A weak positive correlation was obtained between the congestion index and the portal venous pressure, measured simultaneously through a percutaneously placed catheter ( n = 64, r = 0.45, p < 0.01). It is suggested that the congestion index reflects the pathophysiological hemodynamics of the portal venous system in portal hypertension.