Hepatic vein pulsatility assessment on spectral Doppler ultrasound

Hepatic vein pulsatility correlates with the severity of disease in a range of different liver disorders. We describe a simple visual grading system for scoring hepatic vein pulsatility which does not require any on-screen measurements and which has proved reproducible in clinical practice. The system gives a six point score for the waveform pulsatility, 6 being a normal value and 1 indicating a complete lack of modulation.