Splenic blood flow measurements by Doppler ultrasound: a preliminary report.

Splenic blood flow and splenic volume were measured by Doppler and cross sectional ultrasound in 72 human subjects consisting of 61 patients with splenomegaly and 11 normal subjects. This non-invasive and relatively simple method yielded satisfactory results in 76% of the subjects studied; failures were due to obesity, debility, distorted vascular anatomy, and excessive gas in the stomach. These preliminary results suggest that the Doppler ultrasound technique is a practical clinical method for measuring splenic blood flow.