Hemodynamic and morphologic changes of peripheral hepatic vasculature in cirrhotic liver disease: A preliminary study using contrast-enhanced coded phase inversion harmonic ultrasonography

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG Vol. 11; no. 40; pp. 6348 - 6353
• Main Author: Zheng, Rong-Qin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Department of Ultrasound, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou,510630, Guangdong Province, China%Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan 28.10.2005; Baishideng Publishing Group Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Clinical Research; Contrast Media - metabolism; Female; Hemodynamics; Hepatic Artery - anatomy & histology; Hepatic Artery - metabolism; Hepatic Veins - anatomy & histology; Hepatic Veins - metabolism; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Liver - blood supply; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Male; Microbubbles; Middle Aged; Polysaccharides - metabolism; Portal Vein - anatomy & histology; Portal Vein - metabolism; Ultrasonography, Doppler - methods; Sonography; Contrast medium; Hemodynamics; Liver cirrhosis
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i40.6348

To provide the useful information for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis by observing the morphology of peripheral hepatic vessels and the hemodynamics of microbubble arrival time in these vessels. Twenty-one subjects including 5 normal volunteers and 16 patients (liver cirrhosis, n=10; chronic hepatitis, n=6) were studied by contrast-enhanced coded phase inversion harmonic sonography (GE LOGIQ 9 series) using a 6-8 MHz convex-arrayed wide-band transducer. The images of peripheral hepatic artery, portal and hepatic vein were observed in real-time for about 2 min after intravenous injection of Levovist. The time when microbubbles appeared in the peripheral vessels (microbubble arrival time) was also recorded. The morphologic changes of peripheral hepatic vasculature were classified as marked, slight, and no changes based on the regularity in caliber, course, ramification, and the delineation of vessels compared to normal subjects. The microbubble arrival time at peripheral artery, portal, and hepatic vein was shorter in cirrhotic patients than in chronic hepatitis patients and normal subjects. The marked, slight and no morphologic changes of peripheral hepatic vasculature found in 5 (5/6, 83.3%), 1 (1/6, 16.7%), and 0 (0/6, 0%) liver cirrhosis patients, respectively, and in 1 (1/10, 10%), 6 (6/10, 60%), and 3 (3/10, 30%) chronic hepatitis patients, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P< 0.001). Evaluation of the hemodynamics and morphology of peripheral hepatic vasculature by contrast-enhanced coded pulse inversion harmonic sonography can provide useful information for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.