HEMODYNAMIC STUDIES ON ESOPHAGEAL VARICES FORMATION IN THE PORTAL HYPERTENSIVE DOGS

Many studies on the pathophysiology of the portal hypertension have been reported, but the studies on the contributory factors of the esophageal varices formation are few. Esophageal varices have been simply thought as a manifestation of the hepatofugal callaterals. Recently Inokuchi (1977) proposed a new hypothesis suggesting important role of hyperhemodynamic state due to an increased arteriovenous shunt in the gastric region. The purpose of this paper is to prove this new hypothesis in our newly developed portal hypertensive models. Angiographic and radioactive tracer studies were used for analysis of hemodynamic state in portal hypertensive dogs, and those studies showed clear evidences of an increased arteriovenous shunt as well as submucosal venovenous shunting in the upper gastric region.