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Vascular Doppler ultrasonographic indices in cirrhosis: a case–control study with emphasis on the common carotid arteries

  • VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To compare vascular Doppler waveform indices, particularly in the common carotid arteries, between cirrhotic and healthy subjects.

Materials and methods

A total of 60 patients with Class-B cirrhosis and 60 healthy matched counterparts were enrolled in this prospective study. Vascular Doppler waveform parameters including resistance and/or pulsatility indices (RI and PI, respectively) were obtained from the common carotid, renal, celiac, superior mesenteric, femoral and brachial arteries.

Results

Compared to patients, healthy subjects had significantly higher mean PI and RI obtained from the common carotid (1.53 ± 0.20 vs. 1.43 ± 0.14, p = 0.03; 0.75 ± 0.02 vs. 0.72 ± 0.02, p < 0.001, respectively) and celiac arteries (2.00 ± 0.36 vs. 1.81 ± 0.34, p = 0.03; 0.80 ± 0.03 vs. 0.78 ± 0.02, p < 0.001, respectively). Both the mean PI and RI derived from the renal arteries, in contrast, were significantly higher in patients compared to that in controls (1.05 ± 0.13 vs. 1.11 ± 0.07, p = 0.03; 0.59 ± 0.03 vs. 0.63 ± 0.03, p < 0.001, respectively). The mean vascular impedance values obtained from the remaining arteries were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusions

Blood flow increases in the common carotid and celiac arteries of Class-B cirrhotic patients with elevated renovascular impedance.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

Research involving human participants and/or animals: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Abolhassan Shakeri, Naser Atapour & Masoud Nemati

  2. Department of Infectious Disease, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mojtaba Varshochi

  3. Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Manoochehr Khoshbaten

  4. Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Medical Research and Development Complex, Daneshgah St., 51656-65811, Tabriz, Iran

    Daniel Fadaei Fouladi

Authors
  1. Abolhassan Shakeri
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  2. Mojtaba Varshochi
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  3. Naser Atapour
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  4. Masoud Nemati
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  6. Daniel Fadaei Fouladi
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Correspondence to Daniel Fadaei Fouladi.

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Shakeri, A., Varshochi, M., Atapour, N. et al. Vascular Doppler ultrasonographic indices in cirrhosis: a case–control study with emphasis on the common carotid arteries. Radiol med 120, 982–988 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-015-0524-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-015-0524-2

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