Color duplex Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of the risk of esophageal varices bleeding in cirrhotic patients

The risk of variceal bleeding (VB) in patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices may be determined by the portal pressure gradient. The value of Color Duplex Doppler Ultrasonography (CDDU) in the identification of patients at risk for variceal bleeding has been discussed in the literature. In patients with esophageal varices at risk for bleeding, CDDU did not detect patients who presented variceal bleeding during a mean follow-up of 7 months. However, patients with a low Congestion Index (< 0.05) and a mean upper portal vein velocity of > 9 were at lower risk for variceal bleeding. The Congestion Index was higher in patients with bleeding during the follow-up (0.09 vs. 0.057 (p = 0.03) and the mean portal vein velocity was lower in these patients (10.7 vs. 14).