Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 29, Issue 1 , Pages 13-17, January 2003

Hemodynamic response of the left gastric vein to glucagon in patients with portal hypertension and esophageal varices

  • Shoichi Matsutani

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Dr. Shoichi Matsutani, The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670Japan.
    • ,
  • Hitoshi Maruyama

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
    • ,
  • Goro Sato

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
    • ,
  • Takeshi Fukuzawa

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
    • ,
  • Hideaki Mizumoto

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
    • ,
  • Hiromitsu Saisho

      Affiliations

    • The Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan

Received 22 April 2002; accepted 6 August 2002.

Abstract 

Flow direction and flow velocity of the left gastric vein (LGV) and the portal vein (PV) were examined by a Doppler sonographic machine in 33 patients with esophageal varices, before and after venous injection of glucagon (1 mg). In two patients with hepatopetal blood flow in the LGV, the flow direction changed to hepatofugal after injection of glucagon. In 31 patients with hepatofugal blood flow in the LGV, a significant increase of flow velocity was observed in the LGV in 18 patients (58.1%) and the changes (26.4 ± 24.6%) were significantly larger than those in the PV (7.9 ± 16.0%). The changes in flow velocity decreased in the LGV as the diameter of the LGV and the size of varices increased. In conclusion, glucagon increased collateral blood flow in the LGV in portal hypertension. However, the grade of the response decreased as the grade of portal hypertension increased. (E-mail: matsu@med.m.chiba-u.ac.jp)

Keywords:  Glucagon, Hemodynamics, Left gastric vein, Portal hypertension, Esophageal varices

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PII: S0301-5629(02)00643-9

doi:10.1016/S0301-5629(02)00643-9

Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 29, Issue 1 , Pages 13-17, January 2003

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