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The utility of image‐directed Doppler ultrasound in the evaluation of the “parallel channel” sign
Author(s) -
Levy Howard M,
Dobkin Gary R,
Doubilet Peter M
Publication year - 1988
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/jcu.1870160610
Subject(s) - medicine , radiology , sign (mathematics) , ultrasound , doppler ultrasound , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Ultrasound has been shown to be an excellent modality in the evaluation of the jaundiced patient, proving extremely valuable in differentiating surgical (obstructive) from medical jaundice based on the presence or absence of ductal dilatation. 1 The sonographic finding of intrahepatic dilatation has been termed the “double barrel,” 2 “shotgun,” 3 , or “parallel channel” 4 sign. This refers to visualization of dilated intrahepatic bile ducts with the normally visualized portal venous radicles. Subsequent to its initial description, this sign has also been observed in patients with increased hepatic arterial flow. 5,6 In these patients, one of the components of the parallel channel sign represents the prominent intrahepatic artery. In the following case report, we demonstrate the use of pulsed Doppler to help make this distinction.