Abstract
Summary The spleen, when present, offers reasonable access to the portal circulation, and the portal pressure and hepatic blood flow may be measured by this route. The studies herein reported in normal persons and patients with acute and convalescent hepatitis, various stages of cirrhosis and other miscellaneous conditions suggest that the portal circulation is extremely labile in these conditions and may respond to many physiologic and pathologic changes. Much concerning these techniques remains to be demonstrated. Normal values for portal venous pressure by the technique of percutaneous splenic puncture herein described range from 50 to 1.50 mm. H 2 O. Mild elevations are encountered at the height of acute infectious hepatitis and are generally noted in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Hepatic blood flow seems to be low in patients with advanced cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis but normal in patients with other conditions tested. The value of these techniques in following the course of changes in portal circulatory dynamics in health and in disease is emphasized.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
