PORTAL BLOOD FLOW STUDY AND IT§ RELATION TO OESOPHAGEAL VARICES .AND 'SIZE OF SPLEEN- IN PATIENTS WITH PORTAL HYJPERTENSION

Abstract

Bleeding from ruptured esophageal varices is a major c-o, mplication of portal hypertension in BHF and carries an extremely high mortality, either due to hematemesis or due to failure of liver function.

For years many attempts have been made to know why some patients with esophageal varices bleed, while others do not. Several clinicljll, endoscopic, hemodynamic and sonographic parameters have !been investigated but many of these features are interrelated i.e. not independent variables.

Recently, Doppler ultrasonography have been proposed as a new technique to measure the portal flow non- invasively, however, the value of this technique in the assessment of the risk of bleeding remains to be determined.

The • purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of Doppler ultrasound portosplenic hemodynamic parameters in the diagnosis of bilharzia! portal hypertension and the prevalence of subsequent variceal hemorrhage and if there is a relation between size of spleen and variceal size.