Abstract
Forty-three patients who were scheduled to undergo a percutaneous liver biopsy were evaluated with Doppler sonography to determine the hepatic arterial resistive index (RI). The histologic specimens were graded by a pathologist regarding cirrhosis and inflammation. The specimens demonstrated no cirrhosis in 12 of 43 (28%) patients, early cirrhosis in 10 of 43 (23%), and established cirrhosis in 21 of 43 (49%). Analysis also revealed that inflammation was absent in three of 43 (7%) patients, minimal in seven of 43 (16%), mild in 17 of 43 (40%), moderate in 13 of 43 (30%), and severe in three of 43 (7%). Hepatic artery RIs (without correction for heart rate) ranged from 0.64+0.06 in patients with early cirrhosis to 0.68 ±0.09 in patients with severe inflammation. There was no significant correlation between the degree of cirrhosis and/or inflammation and hepatic artery RI (with or without correction for heart rate). We conclude that Doppler determination of hepatic artery RIs is not a reliable method of predicting the severity of hepatic cirrhosis and/or inflammation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Drake DG, Day DL, Letourneau JG, et al. Dopper evaluation of renal transplants in children: a prospective analysis with histopathologic correlation. AJR 1990;154:785–787
Rifkin MD, Needleman L, Pasto ME, et al. Evaluation of renal transplant rejection by duplex Doppler examination: value of the resistive index. AJR 1987;148:759–762
Genkins SM, Sanfilippo FP, Carroll BA. Duplex Doppler sonography of renal transplants: lack of sensitivity and specificity in establishing pathologic diagnosis. AJR 1989;152:535–539
Allen KS, Jorkasky DK, Arger PH, et al. Renal allografts: prospective analysis of Doppler sonography. Radiology 1988;169:371–376
Platt JF, Rubin JM, Ellis JH, DiPietro M. Duplex Doppler US of the kidney: differentiation of obstructive from nonobstructive dilatation. Radiology 1989;171:515–517
Longley DG, Skolnick ML, Sheahan DG. Acute allograft rejection in liver transplant recipients: lack of correlation with loss of hepatic artery diastolic flow. Radiology 1988;169:417–420
Marder DM, DeMarino GB, Sumkin JH, Sheahan DG. Liver transplant rejection: value of the resistive index in Doppler US of hepatic arteries. Radiology 1989;173:127–129
Becker CD, Cooperberg PL. Sonography of the hepatic vascular system. AJR 1988;150:999–1005
Will UV, Teele RL. Hepatic arteries and the parallel-channel sign. JCU 1979;7:125–127
Alpern MB, Rubin JM, Williams DM, Capele P. Porta hepatis: duplex Doppler US with angiographic correlation. Radiology 1987;162:53–56
Mostbeck GH, Gossinger HD, Mallek R, Siostrzonek P, Schneider B, Tscholakoff D. Effect of heart rate on Doppler measurements of resistive index in renal arteries. Radiology 1990; 175:511–513
Anthony P, Ishak KG, Nayak NC, Poulsen HE, Scheuer PJ, Sobin LH. The morphology of cirrhosis. J Clin Pathol 1978;31:395–414
Popper H. Pathologic aspects of cirrhosis. Am J Pathol 1977;87:228–264
Pozniak MA, Kelcz F, Stratta RJ, Oberley TD. Extraneous factors affecting resistive index. Invest Radiol 1988;23:899–904
Takahashi T, Tezuka F. Hepatic arteries and arterial circulation in liver cirrhosis. Tohoka J Exp Med 1974;113:113–128
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vassiliades, V.G., Ostrow, T.D., Chezmar, J.L. et al. Hepatic arterial resistive indices: Correlation with the severity of cirrhosis. Abdom Imaging 18, 61–65 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201704
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201704