Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 9, Issue 12 705-710, Copyright © 1990 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Feasibility spectrum for Doppler flowmetry of splanchnic vessels. In normal and cirrhotic populations
C. Sabba, G. Ferraioli, S. K. Sarin, E. Lerner, R. J. Groszmann and K. J. Taylor
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
The calculation of absolute blood flow by Doppler flowmetry requires
adequate visualization of a vessel in both transverse and longitudinal
planes and an insonating angle less than 60 degrees. The percentage of the
splanchnic vessels in a given population in which these criteria could be
fulfilled (ie, the feasibility spectrum) is not known. To identify this
spectrum in our patient sample, 100 consecutive nonselected patients (58
female, 42 male) and 34 cirrhotics (31 male, three female) were
prospectively studied. In addition, from the group of 42 nonselected
patients, 31 males with no evidence of liver disease were matched for age,
weight, and height with the 31 male cirrhotics. The echo-Doppler
feasibility (EDF; success percentage) was determined for the hepatic,
superior mesenteric, and splenic arteries and portal, superior mesenteric,
and splenic veins. In the nonselected sample, the EDF varied from 86% for
the portal vein to 60% for the superior mesenteric artery. In cirrhotics,
the EDF ranged from 88% for portal vein to 29% in splenic artery. The total
EDF for the nonselected sample (68%) was significantly higher than the EDF
for cirrhotics (54%; P less than .001). Physical factors (weight, age,
height, and sex) affected the EDF in the nonselected patient sample but not
in cirrhotics. We conclude that analysis of EDF of splanchnic vessels in
these groups clearly demonstrates that the composition of the patient
sample has an important bearing on the feasibility spectrum of Doppler
study. Female subjects who are thin, young, and short and lighter male
patients are better candidates for abdominal Doppler flowmetry.
