Budd Chiari Syndrome.Spectrum of Color Doppler Findings

  • Dr Asim Shaukat, Punjab Medical College/ Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Prof Mehdi Rizvi, Punjab Medical College/ Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    • Objective: To find out the effectiveness of Color Doppler Ultrasound in evaluation of suspected cases of Budd Chiari Syndrome
    Material and Methods: 34 patients suspected of having Budd Chiari syndrome were evaluated through Color Doppler ultrasound on Toshiba Nemio Color Doppler systems at 3.5-5 MHz frequency. The study was conducted in the Departmetn of Radiology and Medical imaging Allied Hospital/ Punjab Medical College , Faisalabad Pakistan from March 2007-September 2008. Convenient sampling was done.
    Results:
    Color Doppler findings included
    • Thrombosed Hepatic veins
    • Thrombus in the IVC
    • Tumor growth into the IVC
    • Reversal of flow in the hepatic vein
    • Non visualization of the hepatic veins
    • Portal vein thrombosis was also observed in 2 patients
    • Ascites
    No finding was seen in 9 patients
    The patients werte followed over a period of 3-6 months and some were investigated further with CT scan ,MRI and Angiography
    Conclusion: Color Doppler ultrasound is a beautiful investigation and should be used as a first line of investigation in suspected IVC pathologies , especially Budd Chiari Syndrome.