Characterization of Blood Flow Patterns in the Hepatoportal, Mesenteric, and Renal Vessels by Analysis of Doppler Spectral Waveforms

Abstract

Exploration of the abdominal arteries and veins may be technically challenging but it also reveals valuable information about the blood flow patterns present in normal vessels and those with pathology. While B-mode imaging demonstrates the morphology of vessel walls and lumens, spectral, color and power Doppler imaging detail the presence, location and severity of disease. Evaluation of the hepato-portal system provides information on blood flow patterns through the arteries, veins and collateral network that supply and drain the liver in the normal patient and those with hepato-portal dysfunction. Interrogation of the mesenteric system in the pre and post-prandial patient reveals the fascinating changes in Doppler spectral patterns that occur with alterations in flow demand in response to the metabolic demands associated with digestion. Renal duplex studies provide an opportunity to experience changes in blood flow patterns that occur not only with stenosis and occlusion of the renal artery and its branches but also with changes in vascular resistance of the end –organ. As with the circulatory systems in other areas of the body, B-Mode imaging of the abdominal vessels complemented with analysis of the Doppler spectral waveforms yields valuable clues to the detection and classification of vascular disorders.