Role of Colour Doppler in Evaluation of Hemodynamic Changes in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Purpose of the Study: The estimation of the degree of hepatic fibrosis is important for diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with chronic liver disease, in particular those associated with hepatic viral infections. In cirrhosis portal blood inflow, hepatic resistance and portal venous pressure increase. Doppler sonography is non-invasive diagnostic modality based on hemodynamic parameters. Hemodynamic changes might have developed even in cases with normal findings on B mode sonography. Therefore, assessment of these alterations has importance for early diagnosis and for close follow-up of previously dia-gnosed case. Therefore the main aim of this study is to determine the role of colour flow Doppler ultrasound examination for detection of change in liver hemodynamic in hepatitis C positive chronic liver disease. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in Department of Radiology, Mayo Hospital Lahore from 2012 to 2013. Hundred diagnosed case of Hepatitis C by serology were included in this study. Patient were examined for liver and spleen size, texture and presence and absence of ascites. All the data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Mean age of the patient was found to be 45.90 +/- 12.71 years. The echotexture of liver was normal in 29 patients (29.0%), coarse with smooth margins in 48 patients (48.0%) and coarse with irregular margins in 23 patients (23.0%). Splenic size was enlarged (>= 13 cm) in 63.0%. Portal vein diameter was enlarged in (>= 13 mm) in 53.0%. Severity of ascites shows mild ascites in 24.0%, moderate in 24.0% and severe in 19.0% patients. Portal vein velocity shows abnormality (>= 24cm/ sec) in 63.0%. Hepatic vein waveform in 71.0% of patients was triphasic and nontriphasic in 29.0%. Conclusion: In conclusion alterations of liver hemodynamics resulting from inflammation at the tissue level are detectable in Doppler sonography.