Particularities of hepatic flow in patients with liver cirrhosis

Abstract

Background. Complicated evolutionary forms of liver cirrhosis are particularly caracterized by damage to the hepatic arterial circuit. The hepatic artery represents the nutritional vascularization, representing the branch of the celiac trunk that propels O2-enriched blood to the liver. Objective(s). Evaluation of blood flow in the large-caliber arterial networks of the liver by Doppler quantification in liver cirrhosis. Materials and methods. Subjects of the study were 62 patients with liver cirrhossis – 46 men, 16 women, mean age - 39±0.21 years. The linear parameters studied by Doppler quantification were calculated in the hepatic artery, portal vein, splenic vein and superior. Results. The volume of blood flow velocity in the hepatic artery was 269±115 ml/min. The volumetric flow rate in the portal vein varied between 578±31 ml/2 ml/min and 324±15.6 ml/min, constituting approximately 1000-1200 ml/min. In the splenic vein the volume velocity ranged from - 157±0,4 to 366±12 ml/min. A linear increase in blood flow by 70% was observed. Superior mesenteric vein – normal flow volume is 194±25 ml/min. As the pathology progressed, the flow volume also increased from 785±0,5 ml/min to 979±138 ml/min. Conclusion(s). Acceleration of blood flow in the hepatic artery represents informative hemodynamic parameters that secondarily invoke the reduction of elasticity and tone of large veins, the decrease in filling of small and medium caliber arteries of the liver.