What type of flow normally occurs in the portal vein?

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Portal venous flow is hepatopetal, entering the liver with low velocity and continuous, largely laminar flow. The velocity is slow and the waveform shows gentle, non-pulsatile variations mainly from respiration and transmitted arterial pulsations. This makes the portal vein appear as low-velocity, continuous flow toward the liver with mild undulations. High-velocity pulsatile flow would indicate arterial rather than portal flow, turbulent flow suggests obstruction or abnormality, and no flow is not normal for a patent portal vein.