Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of intestinal ischemia

Abstract

Conventional ultrasound is unreliable in detecting narrowing of the visceral arteries. Two cases are reported in which duplex Doppler ultrasound correctly identified severe narrowing of the celiac artery. Doppler ultrasound promises to be more accurate than conventional ultrasound in the diagnosis of visceral ischemia and may help to identify those patients who may require angiography.

Doppler Ultrasound Measurement of Intestinal Blood Flow in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…technique providing assessment of splanchnic hemodynamics-namely splanchnic arterial inflow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and splanchnic venous outflow in the portal system-and a useful diagnostic tool in several hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases (1)(2)(3). To date, the role of splanchnic hemodynamic assessment by Doppler flowmetry in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been thoroughly investigated.…”

Should the Celiac Artery Be Used as an Anatomical Marker for the Descending Thoracic Aorta During Transesophageal Echocardiography?

“…It arises just inferior to the aortic hiatus of the diaphragm and separates the thoracic aorta from the abdominal aorta. As stated earlier, the celiac artery is of substantial size and easily identified as it is the first large anterior branch of the abdominal aorta with its low‐resistance velocity pattern on color Doppler . Using the celiac artery as a reference marker to report aortic disease with TEE allows for direct correlation between TEE and radiology studies and may assist with aortic repair procedures .…”

“…2). [7][8][9] This study was designed to determine whether utilization of the celiac artery as an anatomical marker during TEE is feasible in practice.…”

Transesophageal Echocardiography of the Descending Thoracic Aorta: Establishing an Accurate Anatomic Marker Using the Celiac Artery

“…The celiac artery, which is approximately 7–20 mm in diameter, 10 arises just inferior to the aortic hiatus of the diaphragm. It is easily recognizable as it is the first large anterior branch of the descending aorta inferior to the arch with a characteristic low‐resistance blood flow velocity pattern on color Doppler, which is continuous throughout the cardiac cycle 11 …”

“…It is easily recognizable as it is the first large anterior branch of the descending aorta inferior to the arch with a characteristic low-resistance blood flow velocity pattern on color Doppler, which is continuous throughout the cardiac cycle. 11 Other vascular structures inferior to the celiac artery, which may be occasionally identified with TEE and which are easily differentiated from the celiac artery, are the superior mesenteric artery, the left renal vein, and inferior vena cava. The superior mesenteric artery is smaller than the celiac artery and arises approximately 1 cm inferior to the celiac artery.…”