Assessment of Blood Perfusion with Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Patients with Hepatic Cirrhosis

Objective To explore the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in assessing blood perfusion characteristics in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.Methods Sixty patients with chronic hepatitis B.CEUS was performed in 30chronic hepatitis B patients without liver cirrhosis(non-cirrhosis group),30chronic hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis(cirrhosis group)and 20normal subjects(normal control group).Dynamic visualization of hepatic artery, portal vein,hepatic vein and liver parenchyma was achieved by using an aqueous suspension of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles under the condition of low mechanical index.The contrast material to portal vein arrival time(PVAT),hepatic vein arrival time(HVAT),portal vein peak time(PVPT),hepatic vein peak time(HVPT)and portal vein to hepatic vein transit time(PV-HVTT) were recorded.Differences in these parameters were statistically analyzed among the three groups.Results There were no significant differences in PVAT,PVPT and HVPT among the three groups(P0.05).Compared with normal control group or non-cirrhosis group,HVAT and PV-HVTT significantly decreased in cirrhosis group(P0.05).Conclusion HVAT and PVHVTT reflect the changes in microcirculation and hemodynamics and provide the basis for early diagnosis and clinic treatment of hepatic cirrhosis.