ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to compare results of dopplerography characterizing hepatic and splenic blood flow at different stages of chronic viral hepatitis B and C and correlate them with histological findings and sclerosis. The study included 79 patients of whom 45 had chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 34 hepatitis C (CHC). The most sensitive dopplerographic characteristics proved to be congestion index, liver vascular index, and hepatic hypertension index that started to change significantly at minimal activity of hepatitis and greatly deteriorated after development of liver cirrhosis. In both cases venous blood flow was affected more seriously than arterial one. Hepatic hyperperfusion progressed faster in CHC than in CHB. Dopplerographic characteristics correlated with histologic activity index, its components, and sclerosis index. Hence, the possibility of using dopplerographic studies for the evaluation of hepatic and splenic vasculature and indirect assessment of morphological changes in the liver.