Quantitative measurement of abdominal arterial blood flow using image-directed Doppler ultrasonography: superior mesenteric, splenic, and common hepatic arterial blood flow in normal adults.

To measure volume blood flow quantitatively in human abdominal arteries, we used an ultrasonic image-directed Doppler system and electromagnetic flowmeter to first measure volume flow in canine arteries. In dogs, there was a strong linear correlation (R = 0.98) between the product of the time average of the maximum blood flow velocity and the average cross-sectional area and the volume blood flow measured by an electromagnetic flowmeter. These results enabled measurement of volume blood flow in the human superior mesenteric (SMA), splenic (SPA), and common hepatic (CHA) arteries from the abdominal wall. Comparison of pulsatility index values indicated a larger vascular resistance in the SMA than in the SPA or CHA.