Background: Portal vein enlargement was initially considered the main sign of portal hypertension. However, the portal vein caliber does not increase angiographically and may decrease with increasing porto-hepatic venous pressure. Hepatofugal flow &/or portosystemic shunt developments also decrease the portal vein caliber, thus making the portal vein size alone a nonreliable indicator of portal hypertension.
Objective: To determine the portal vein diameter (PVD), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and pulsatility index (PI) and their relationships in apparently healthy adults based on age, gender, and anthropometric variables.
Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted among 196 healthy adults in ATBUTH, Bauchi metropolis. An ultrasound machine, "SIEMENS G50," with a 3.5MHz transducer and Doppler capability, was used. Following overnight fasting, subjects were examined in the supine and right side anterior oblique positions for portal vein diameter, PSV, and PI measurements. Anthropometric variables were measured before the examinations. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS (22.0) and descriptive statistics.
Results: A total of 196 {Males=106(54.07%), Females=90(45.92%)} healthy adults were enrolled in the study. The mean portal VD, PSV, and PI were 11.15±1.81mm, 22.19±7.08cm/s and 0.59±0.07 for both genders, respectively, and found a weak negative correlation between portal vein pulsatility index and portal vein diameter, age & body mass index. However, these associations were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: This study has established reference values for standard portal VD, PSV, and PI in a Northern Nigerian population with their corresponding relationships based on age, gender, and anthropometric variables.