Measurement of azygos blood flow by a continuous thermodilution method in liver disease

• Published in: Kanzo Vol. 27; no. 8; pp. 1132 - 1140
• Main Authors: KANAZAWA, Hidenori, MATSUSAKA, Satoshi, TADA, Norihiko, KURODA, Hajime, KOBAYASHI, Masafumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Hepatology 1986
• Subjects: propranolol
• ISSN: 0451-4203; 1881-3593
• DOI: 10.2957/kanzo.27.1132

Azygos blood flow (ABF) by a continuous thermodilution method was measured in acute hepatitis in 8, chronic hepatitis in 10 and cirrhosis in 30. ABF in these patients were 82 ±13ml/min/mm2 in acute hepatitis, 162 ± 12ml/min/mm2 in chronic hepatitis and 247 ± 9ml/min/mm2 in cirrhosis. ABF was directly related to hepatic venous pressure gradient (r=0.702), cardiac index (r=0.595) and effective haptic blood flow (r=-0.458). Patients with moderate (F2) or large (F3) varices had higher ABF than those with small (F1) varices. But ABF in cirrhosis without varices was not different in patients with varices. Esophageal tamponade markedly reduced ABF. Both propranolol and metoclopramide significantly reduced ABF. It is suggested that measurement of ABF is a sensitive method to evaluate blood flow in gastro-esophageal collaterals in patients with liver disease.