Modification of cardiac function in cirrhotic patients with and without ascites.

Objectives: Abnormalities in cardiac function have been reported in liver cirrhosis, suggesting a latent cardiomyopathy in these patients. In this study we investigated cardiac function in cirrhotic patients and in controls.

Methods: A total of 20 cirrhotic patients without previous or ongoing ascites, 20 cirrhotic patients with moderate-to-severe ascites, and 10 healthy controls were studied by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography.

Color-Doppler sonography in ophthalmology.

Background: With the present study we considered ocular blood flow by the use of color Doppler ultrasound. We compared the most clinically important arteries of both eyes. We valued the central retinal artery, the posterior long ciliary arteries, the posterior brief ciliary arteries and the central retinal vein.