[Value of hepatic angioscintigraphy combined to pulsed Echo-Doppler: application to the study of portal hypertension of cirrhotic patients. Apropos of 148 cases].

Quantitative hepatic angioscintigraphy was combined with duplex Doppler in order to study liver perfusion in normal subjects and in 148 patients with liver cirrhosis. The portal component of liver perfusion determined by scintigraphy was reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis and correlated to the development of cirrhosis and to porto-hepatic gradient pressure. Duplex Doppler allowed assessment of portal blood direction. Determination of portal blood flow was possible in only a few patients: portal blood flow was increased in the first stage of cirrhosis and then decreased; hepatofugal flow was observed only in the most severe stage. Angioscintigraphy and Duplex Doppler appear to be complementary in the study and follow-up of portal hypertension.