Partially reversed intrasplenic venous blood flow detected by color Doppler sonography in two patients with hematologic diseases and splenomegaly

We report on 2 patients with hematologic diseases (1 follicular lymphoma an d 1 myeloproliferative syndrome) and splenomegaly who had partial intrasple nic portosystemic shunting demonstrated by color Doppler sonography. Intras plenic venous blood flow was in the normal direction at the hilum of the sp leen but in a reversed direction at the periphery of the spleen. This type of reversed intrasplenic flow pattern results in portosystemic shunting and might be detected more frequently when careful color Doppler mapping of th e entire splenic parenchyma is performed in patients with portal hypertensi on. The clinical significance of this phenomenon, however, is still unclear . (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.