Partially reversed intrasplenic venous blood flow detected by color Doppler sonography in two patients with hematologic diseases and splenomegaly

We report on 2 patients with hematologic diseases (1 follicular lymphoma and 1 myeloproliferative syndrome) and splenomegaly who had partial intrasplenic portosystemic shunting demonstrated by color Doppler sonography. Intrasplenic venous blood flow was in the normal direction at the hilum of the spleen but in a reversed direction at the periphery of the spleen. This type of reversed intrasplenic flow pattern results in portosystemic shunting and might be detected more frequently when careful color Doppler mapping of the entire splenic parenchyma is performed in patients with portal hypertension. The clinical significance of this phenomenon, however, is still unclear. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 29:294–297, 2001.