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Doppler Waveforms and Blood Flow Parameters of the Superior and Inferior Mesenteric Arteries in Patients Having Behçet Disease With and Without Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Preliminary Data

Ahmet Siirci, MD, Mustafa enol, MD, Erdinç Aydin, MD, Ramazan Kutlu, MD, Alpay Alkan, MD, M. Tayfun Altinok, MD, Saim Yololu, MD, Tamer Baysal, MD and Kaya Saraç, MD

Departments of Radiology (A.S., R.K., A.A., M.T.A., T.B., K.S.), Dermatology (M.S.), Ophthalmology (E.A.), and Biostatistics (S.Y.), Inönü University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ahmet Siirci, MD, Department of Radiology, Inönü University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, 44069 Malatya, Turkey; e-mail: ahmets{at}inonu.edu.tr.

Objective. To evaluate hemodynamic changes in mesenteric arteries in patients with Behçet disease with and without gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods. Doppler sonography of mesenteric arteries was performed in 25 symptomatic and 15 asymptomatic patients having Behçet disease and in 25 healthy control subjects. The peak systolic, minimal, and mean velocities, resistive and pulsatility indexes, inner diameter, cross-sectional area, and blood flow volume of mesenteric arteries were evaluated. The results were compared between patient groups and controls. Results. The mesenteric artery flow was significantly greater in patients in the symptomatic group than in those in the asymptomatic group or in controls. In the superior mesenteric artery, mean velocity and mean blood flow volume (0.35 ± 0.18 m/s and 711 ± 404 mL/min, respectively; P < .0001) in the symptomatic group were significantly higher than in the asymptomatic group (0.16 ± 0.07 m/s and 305 ± 168 mL/min, respectively) or in controls (0.15 ± 0.07 m/s and 290 ± 123 mL/min, respectively). The mean peak systolic velocity (1.23 ± 0.47 m/s; P < .005) in the symptomatic group was significantly higher than in controls (0.93 ± 0.23 m/s). In the inferior mesenteric artery, mean velocity and mean blood flow volume (0.25 ± 0.10 m/s and 139 ± 79 mL/min) in the symptomatic group were significantly higher than in the asymptomatic group (0.16 ± 0.07 m/s; P < .006; and 78 ± 26 mL/min; P < .007) or in controls (0.17 ± 0.07 m/s; P < .003; 83 ± 48 mL/min; P < .004). Conclusions. In this study, symptomatic patients with gastrointestinal Behçet disease were associated with a significant increase in mesenteric artery flow that could be evaluated easily on spectral patterns of arteries during Doppler sonography. The Doppler sonographic findings also revealed that intestinal involvement in patients with Behçet disease without gastrointestinal symptoms is not significantly different from that of healthy controls.

Abbreviations: GER, gastric emptying rate • q, quartile • T50, half-time

Key Words: Behçet disease • Doppler sonography • duplex sonography • gastrointestinal system • mesenteric arteries