A Clinical Study on Total Bile Acid Concentration, Oxygen Partial Pressure and Saturation in the Portal System in Patients with Portal Hypertension

Fumio Chikamori, Hiroyuki Aoyagi, Susumu Shibuya*, Yasuhiro Takase*, Katashi Fukao

Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital
*Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba

Blood concentrations of total bile acid (TBA), oxygen partial pressure (PO₂) and oxygen saturation (SO₂) in the portal (PV), splenic (SpV), and superior mesenteric veins (SMV) and the superior vena cava (SVC) were studied by percutaneous transhepatic catheterization in 24 patients with esophagogastric varices secondary to liver cirrhosis. TBA in the PV was significantly higher than that in the SVC (p<0.01). There was no significant difference in TBA between the SVC and the SpV. The SMV was the main transportation route of TBA. There was no significant difference in PO₂ between the PV and the SVC, but SO₂ in the PV was slightly higher than that in the SVC (p<0.05). PO₂ and SO₂ in the SpV were significantly higher than in the PV, SMV and SVC (p<0.01). Percutaneous transhepatic portography demonstrated that the SpV was the main blood supply route to the esophageal varices. The variceal blood during injection sclerotherapy appeared as red as arterial blood in all patients. Therefore, we conclude that the variceal blood approximates that of the SpV in which TBA is lower but PO₂ and SO₂ are higher than those of the PV and SMV.

Key words
total bile acid concentration, oxygen partial pressure, oxygen saturation, portal hypertension, esophagogastric varices

Reprint requests
Fumio Chikamori Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital
1-3-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, 305 JAPAN

Accepted
October 7, 1992

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.