Duplex Doppler Ultrasound of the Hepatic Artery A Window to Diagnosis of Diffuse Liver Pathology

The use of Doppler sonography for evaluation of the liver is well established, and evaluation of the portal and hepatic veins in native livers, as well as the hepatic artery in transplant livers, is a standard part of the examination. Less well known, however, is that assessment hepatic of artery blood flow velocities and waveforms can permit inferences to be made about liver and system pathophysiology even in native livers. This review will illustrate that hepatic parenchymal abnormalities, as well as primary vascular abnormalities both upstream and downstream of the proper hepatic artery, can be inferred from careful interrogation of its Doppler signature during routine abdominal sonography.