Abstract: Objective To observe the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for liver perfusion post transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and portal hypertension.Methods A total of 56 patients who underwent CEUS examination after TIPS between January 2016 and April 2021 were selected, including 30 males and 26 females, aged from 20 to 70 years, with an average age of (51.0±7.5) years old. At the same time, color doppler ultrasound (CDUS) was performed on 56 patients, and the diagnostic results of CEUS and CDUS were compared and analyzed.Results Comparison of the diagnostic results of hepatic perfusion by CEUS in patients, both HAP and HPI increased [(28.9±13.4) min·100 mL and (64.2±11.2)%] after operation, which were significantly different from those of before operation [(20.0±9.3) min·100 mL and (54.4±19.5)%] (P<0.05). The differences between PVP and TLP before and after surgery were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Comparison of the diagnostic results by CDUS and CEUS showed that in the majority of cases (89.3%), the findings of CEUS and CDUS were highly consistent; the diagnostic sensitivity of CEUS was 98.2%, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Also, in some cases, CEUS provided additional examination information compared to CDUS.Conclusion CEUS provides a safe and effective imaging method for following-up after TIPS. In contrast to CDUS, CEUS also enables dynamic visualization of individual microbubbles with high spatial and temporal resolution, enabling specific assessment of stent pathology and stent dysfunction. CEUS can be applied to a very broad patient population due to a lower adverse events associated with the use of contrast agents and a higher specificity and sensitivity of ePTFE stents.

Key words: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Portal hypertension, Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, Color doppler ultrasound, Liver perfusion