Hepatic venous outflow refers to the drainage pathway of blood from the liver through the hepatic veins into the inferior vena cava and ultimately back to the heart. Obstruction of this outflow can cause congestion of the liver, leading to hepatomegaly, ascites, and liver damage. Budd-Chiari syndrome is the classic condition involving hepatic venous outflow obstruction, caused by blood clots in the hepatic veins. On Doppler ultrasound, the hepatic veins are assessed for patency, flow direction, and waveform morphology. Absent flow, reversed flow, or loss of the normal pulsatile waveform in the hepatic veins can indicate outflow obstruction.
Sonography Term