Evaluation of Portal Hypertensive Doppler Parameters in Patients with Bilharzial Periportal Fibrosis

Abstract

AIM: The current study aimed to evaluate sonographic and Doppler portal hypertensive parameters in patients with hepatic periportal fibrosis; either with mild or advanced disease, and to assess if there are any correlations between these parameters. METHODS: This case/control study included 50 patients; 44 males and 6 females and 40 subjects as a control group. Diagnosis of bilharziasis was established by history, examination and investigations. Patients were classified into patients with fine and thick periportal fibrosis (PPF) by abdominal US. All included subjects underwent hepatosplenic Color Doppler Ultrasonographic examination. RESULTS: 50 patients with their mean age 34±9 years were included. No statistically significant differences in portal vein diameter (PVD), portal vein velocity (PVV) and portal vein flow volume (PVFV) between patients and control. Patients with thick PPF showed statistically significant higher values in PVD (P value=0.001) and PVFV (P value=0.05) than those with fine PPF. Congesion index of the portal vein (CI) was significantly higher in patients than control (P value=0.001), also in patients with thick than those with fine PPF (P value=0.000). Statistically significant higher values of splenic vein diameter (SVD) (P value=0.026), splenic Index (SI), splenoportal index (SPI) (P value=0.000) were detected in patients than control, also in patients with thick than those with fine PPF (P value=0.000). CONCLUSION: Color Doppler portal hypertensive parameters are significantly higher in patients with more advanced bilharzial periportal fibrosis.