J Korean Soc Med Ultrasound.  2000 Jun;19(2):71-76.

Pulsatility Index of Renal Artery in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

• Baik SK
• Kim KH
• Jeong YS
• Kim HS
• Lee DK
• Kwon SO

Abstract

PURPOSE: As one of non-invasive methods evaluating disorders of renal perfusion using Doppler ultrasonography, PI represents the characteristics of Doppler waveform more accurately than RI, and even when renal perfusion is severely impaired, objective estimation is possible because of using the mean velocity in its calculation. The purpose of this study is to find out the clinical usefulness of PI for evaluating disorder of renal function in patients with liver cirrhosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The subjects were 167 patients including 89 of Child A and B groups, 39 of Child C group, and 39 of control group. We compared PI, RI, creatinine clearance, serum renin activity and aldosterone level between each groups, and investigated the relationships of PI with creatinine clearance, serum renin activity, and aldosterone level.
RESULTS
Mean PI was 1.00+/-0.15 in control group, 1.17+/-0.22 in Child A and B groups, and 1.30+/-0.28 in Child C group, which showed significant difference between each groups(p<0.05). Also RI, creatinine clearance, serum renin activity and aldosterone level revealed significant difference between each groups(p< 0.05). PI showed significant negative relationships with creatinine clearance(p= 0.009), serum renin activity(p= 0.006), and aldosterone level(p= 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Measurement of PI by Doppler ultrasonography is a useful non-invasive method for evaluating renal dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis.

MeSH Terms

Aldosterone
Child
Creatinine
Humans
Kidney
Liver Cirrhosis*
Liver*
Perfusion
Renal Artery*
Renin
Ultrasonography, Doppler
Aldosterone
Creatinine
Renin