For purposes of confirming the diagnostic value of the portal venous pressure determination in various liver diseases, the author, using hepatic catheterization technique, determined the portal venous pressure in 12 cases of liver cirrhosis, 9 cases of clonorchiasis, 5 cases of mitral stenosis, and 7 normal subjects. On the other hand, the normal matured 6 dogs were subjected to clonorchiasis and the difference of the portal venous pressure before and after infestation was also determined.
1. The mean values of the wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP) in 7 normal subjects was 6 mmHg and that of the hepatic venous pressure (HVP) was 4.3mmHg.
2. The mean values of WHVP in 12 patients with liver cirrhosis was 19mmHg. As one of the cases had large splenic tumor, an additional determination was done after splenectomy. The gradient was marked and was in proportion to the severity of the disease.
3. The mean values of WHVP in 9 cases of clonorchiasis was.14mmHg. The gradient was moderately large.
4. The mean value of WHVP in 5 cases of mitral stenosis was 9, 4mmHg. The gradientt was not so marked as in the case of liver cirrhosis. No abnormal abdominothoracic gradient was found.
5. The mean values of WHVP in 6 dogs experimentally infested with clonorchis sinensis was 6mmHg before infestation, which was increased to 8. 8mmHg after infestation.
6. In all cases with hepatic diseases accompanied by esophageal varicies, the elevation of the portal venous pressure was noted, while the cases with ascites only showed the less marked elevation.
7. The splenic pulp pressure and WHVP were almost the same degree.
8. A marked decrease in WHVP was observed after splenectomy in a case with splenomegalic liver 1 cirrhosis.
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