Duplex Doppler Ultrasound Of The Hepatic Artery In Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Patients
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that significantly affects vascular structures, including hepatic circulation. The hepatic artery, crucial for liver oxygenation and function, may exhibit hemodynamic alterations in diabetic patients due to microvascular complications and endothelial dysfunction. Duplex Doppler ultrasound serves as a non-invasive, dynamic tool to evaluate these vascular changes. To evaluate the duplex Doppler ultrasound of the hepatic artery in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. A case-control study was conducted at Kishwar Sultana Hospital, Lahore, from April to June 2025. A total of 150 patients were included, comprising 75 diabetic and 75 non-diabetic individuals. All subjects underwent hepatic artery evaluation using a Toshiba Xario 100 ultrasound system with a 3–5 MHz convex probe. Parameters, including PSV, EDV, RI, and PI, were measured and analyzed statistically to determine significant differences between the two groups. Diabetic patients demonstrated significantly altered Doppler parameters compared to non-diabetics. Specifically, increased RI (maximum 2.30) and PI (maximum 5.37) values in diabetics indicated higher hepatic arterial resistance and stiffness (p < 0.001 for both). In contrast, Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) and End Diastolic Velocity (EDV) showed no significant differences between groups (PSV: p = 0.628, EDV: p = 0.298). These findings suggest that diabetes has a measurable impact on hepatic arterial resistance without significantly affecting flow velocity, consistent with diabetic microangiopathy. Duplex Doppler ultrasound effectively detects early hepatic artery changes in diabetics, with elevated RI and PI indicating vascular dysfunction. Early detection supports timely intervention and complication prevention.
Key words: Duplex Doppler ultrasound, hepatic artery, diabetes mellitus, resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), vascular dysfunction, non-invasive imaging, hepatic hemodynamics.
