Ultrasound Demonstration of Hepatic Arterial Buffer Response for Blood Flow Regulation

This is observation analytical case control study deal with assessment of hepatic arterial buffer response for blood flow regulation using ultrasonography taking 300 subjects. 150 normal control group and 150 patients with chronic liver diseases. Several previous studies in various setting has support ultrasound scanning as non-invasive, cost effected, reliable, and accurate tool for measuring portal vein diameter and flow comparing with hepatic artery diameter for assess hepatic artery buffer response for blood flow regulation in chronic liver diseases. The Aim: Importance of the study to help in diagnosis impairment of HABR for blood flow regulation in chronic liver diseases in early stage to avoid the complication. As well as to reduce the cost and time of other examination. Method: The data was collected, analyzed by using Statistical Packaged for Social Studies (SPSS). Ultrasound examinations were performed in Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital. Omdurman, Khartoum State during the period) from January 2021to August 2022(on 150 patients as study group (85 male and 65 female) and 150 control group with normal abdominal scan (Patient who had previous abdominal surgery was excluded). The Result: In result we found significant correlation (P=0.00) between hepatic artery diameter, liver craniocaudal length CCLcm, caudate lobe size and portal vein diameter, with direction of flow. Highly significant correlation (r=-0.222; P=0.006) was noticed between portal vein diameter and hepatic artery diameter of patient under investigation. In patient with cirrhosis found dilated portal vein associated with Hepatofugal flow away from liver combined with dilated hepatic artery to compensate the liver supply. In case of fatty liver infiltration, the portal vein decrease diameter and flow associated with increase liver size and hepatic artery diameter to supply the liver. In liver tumor HCC the portal vein decrease diameter and flow associated with increase liver size and hepatic artery diameter. In hepatitis both portal vein and hepatic artery dilated to increase supply to the liver. These were expected and goes with previous study. The study also found that there was significant correlation between Sudanese HABR and international standard. The study recommended further study to measure HABR routinely with chronic liver diseases ultrasound scan.