Doppler ultrasonography helps discriminate between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients with viral B and C hepatitis.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to define the cutoff values between compensated cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic patients with viral hepatitis B and C, using the criteria of the Doppler parameters of liver vascularity. Seventy non-cirrhotic patients with viral hepatitis B and C and 30 cirrhotic patients were included in this prospective study. The diagnostic decisiveness properties of the Doppler values in the pre-determination of liver cirrhosis were evaluated using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. Taking the cutoff value for hepatic vein waveform index as 0.605, a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 77.1% were obtained. The sensitivity was 80%, and the specificity was 68.6% for a mean max portal velocity cutoff value of 18.25cm/s. When the hepatic artery resistivity index cutoff value was taken as 0.705 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis, the sensitivity was 82.5% and the specificity 72.1%. For a hepatic artery pulsatility index cutoff value of 1.295, a sensitivity of 82.5% and a specificity of 72.1% were found. It is not possible to diagnose cirrhosis with only hemodynamic changes. However, the cutoff values may be helpful in the selection of patients to undergo the procedure of liver biopsy.