How does the celiac artery waveform behave during fasting and postprandial states?

• A. Becomes high resistance during fasting and low after meals
• B. Remains low resistance through fasting or postprandial
• C. Exhibits high pulsatility in fasting
• D. Shows reversed flow during postprandial

Answer: (B)

The celiac artery typically maintains forward, continuous flow with relatively low resistance, and this pattern doesn’t dramatically change with feeding state. Even though postprandially there is a boost in overall splanchnic flow and portal venous inflow, the foregut circulation relies on constant perfusion, and hepatic arterial buffer modulates hepatic inflow so that diastolic forward flow persists. So the waveform remains low-resistance in both fasting and postprandial states, rather than becoming highly pulsatile, reversing flow, or showing a marked high-resistance pattern.