OBSERVATION OF BOTH THE INTRA- AND EXTRA-HEPATIC VESSELS BY THE REAL TIME TWO-DIMENSIONAL DOPPLER ECHOGRAPHY: Its Clinical Significance and Prosthesis

This study was performed in order to clarify the clinical significance of colour flow mapping by realtime two-dimensional Doppler exhography (2-D Doppler) in observing the intra- and extra-hepatic vessels. 35 patients were examined by 2-D Doppler which displays real time two dimensional blood flow imaging by colour noninvasively. Of those 25 had any liver diseases and remaining 10 had no abnormalities in the liver. Some specific diagnostic capacity of this technique revealed are as follows. Identification of intra- and extra-hepatic vessels was easily performed. Hemodynamics in the vessels were also easily observed. Direction and velocity of the blood flow were distinguished at a glance. When the velocity of portal blood flow was slow, such as seen in liver cirrhosis, the colour imaging was obtained in only a half patients. In the cases of liver cirrhosis, however, some specific findings such as shunt flow, and when combined with the hepatoma, the nutritional hepatic arteries were observed. In conclusion, these information by 2-D Doppler were very effective in evaluating the liver diseases.