Abstract
Portal hemodynamic response to oral intake of glucose was investigated in twenty-eight patients with liver cirrhosis and nine patients with non liver diseases by Doppler ultrasound. In a fasting state, splenic and superior mesenteric venous flow volume increased significantly in patients with liver cirrhosis compared with that in patients with non liver diseases, whereas blood flow volume in the portal trunk was almost equal in these two groups. After glucose intake, percentage changes of blood flow volume in the splenic vein, the superior mesenteric vein, and the portal trunk in patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly smaller than those in patients with non liver diseases. In conclusion, it is suggested that splenic and mesenteric circulation is hyper-dynamic, although hyporesponsive after oral feeding in liver cirrhosis.
