TRANSJUGULAR INTRAHEPATIC PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNT - CORRELATION OF PORTAL-VEIN VELOCITY-MEASUREMENTS AND PORTOSYSTEMIC PRESSURE-GRADIENTS

To assess the relationship between portal vein velocity measurements a nd portosystemic gradients, color Doppler sonography was performed on 12 patients before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic s hunt placement, An additional patient was examined before and after sh unt modification, The average maximum portal vein velocity increased f rom 15.7 cm s(-1) before shunt placement to 43.5 cm s(-1) after shunt placement, while the average portosystemic gradient decreased from 22. 0 mm Hg before shunt placement to 7.9 mm Hg after shunt placement. Flo w was observed within the shunt in 11 of the 12 cases, Shunt velocity was measurable in nine patients, with an average value of 115.7 cm s(- 1) Reversal of intrahepatic portal vein flow was observed in 10 cases following shunt placement, Color Doppler sonography is a useful non-in vasive tool in the evaluation of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, an d changes in portal vein velocity correlate well with changes in the p ortosystemic gradient.