Hepatic venography and hemodynamics in patients with alcoholic hepatitis

Fourteen patients with alcoholic hepatitis were evaluated serially by free (FHV) and wedge (WHV) hepatic venography and corrected hepatic wedge pressure (CWP). Cardiac output was determined and liver biopsy performed before and after 30 days of medical therapy in 11 and 6 patients, respectively. The CWP and FHV correlated well with the severity of hepatitis. Sinusoidal morphology, as determined by WHV, was difficult to interpret and varied on serial studies, although there were no significant changes in the liver histology or FHV. FHV and CWP are useful parameters of the severity of alcoholic hepatitis, while WHV is helpful in determining patency and direction of blood flow in the portal vein.