The correlation between Doppler US measurement of hepatic arterial flow and the MELD score in patients with chronic liver disease

N.B. Topal, P. Sarkut, H.Z. Dündar, A.U. Şahin, İ. Ercan, T. Ayyıldız, R. İşçimen, M. Kiyici, E. Kaya, R. Emiroglu

Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University, Uludag, Turkey. nailebolca@yahoo.com

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• Gastroenterology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and hepatic arterial hemodynamic parameters measured via Doppler US.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Etiologic causes and hepatic artery hemodynamic parameters of 121 patients with chronic liver parenchymal disease were compared with MELD scores.  Doppler ultrasonography (US) was used to assess flow velocity, pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) in the hepatic artery (HA). Each patient’s MELD scores were calculated at the time of Doppler ultrasound performed.

RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference between MELD score and hepatic artery RI value (p < 0.001, r = 0.616). This difference was statistically more significant in the group which consisted of multiple etiologic causes (p < 0.001, r = 0.837).

CONCLUSIONS: We found significant relation between MELD score and hepatic artery RI measurements in patients with chronic liver parenchymal disease.

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