Hepatic Arteries and Arterial Circulation in Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Arterial blood flow of the liver was estimated from the radius R_t of the proper hepatic arteries in autopsy cases of liver cirrhosis and Banti's syndrome. The arterial flow Q was calculated from the equation Q=q•Rⁿ_t, where q and n were organ independent constants of the arterial system. The mean arterial flow Q in cirrhotic livers was significantly larger than that in the normal liver, and there was a striking individual difference in Q in cirrhotic livers. A close correlation was proved between the arterial flow Q and the volume of interstitial tissue V_i in cirrhotic livers, whereas the volume of parenchymal tissue V_p was not correlated with the arterial flow. It was concluded that increased supply of arterial blood in liver cirrhosis was due solely to abundant intrahepatic shunts. Compensation of decreased portal flow by increased arterial supply was improbable. In cases of Banti's syndrome, the estimated hepatic arterial flow was entirely in the normal range.