What does hepatopedal mean?

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Hepatopedal describes flow toward the liver. In the portal venous system, blood travels from the gut to the liver, so normal portal flow is hepatopedal—that is, direction into the liver. The opposite term, hepatofugal, means flow away from the liver. This distinction helps interpret Doppler findings in liver disease: hepatopedal flow suggests normal direction toward the liver, while hepatofugal flow can indicate portal hypertension or obstruction. Note that hepatic veins drain the liver toward the inferior vena cava and are described as hepatofugal, not hepatopedal.