ULTRASONOGRAPHIC CHANGES OF EARLY LIVER-CIRRHOSIS IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Ultrasonography of prospectively followed chronic hepatitis B patients who developed liver cirrhosis were reevaluated in order to identify t he ultrasonographic changes of early cirrhosis. Ultrasonographic featu res of 29 patients before and after cirrhosis were as follows: portal vein diameter- 1.20 cm/1.29 cm (NS); cirrhosis score-5.69/7.52 (p < 0. 01); spleen size index-21.99 cm2/25.84 CM2 (NS). The result suggests t hat ultrasonographic diagnosis of early cirrhosis is not easy on a sin gle occasion; however, the score system method is helpful in longitudi nal follow-up chronic hepatitis patients. A careful comparison of hepa tic parenchymal and surface changes are mandatory.