Biomarkers and imaging studies to predict portal hypertension and varices

Pharyngeal Varices Secondary to Sinistral Portal Hypertension

A 60-year-old man presented with hematemesis. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic tail cancer and gastric varices due to sinistral portal hypertension, which had been observed on computed tomography (CT). An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was undertaken to assess the gastric varices, and a recent gastric variceal bleed was suggested (Figure 1). Although splenectomy was a definitive therapy,...

Vesical Varices Secondary to Portal Hypertension

Pathophysiology of Portal Hypertension and Esophageal Varices

Esophageal varices are the major complication of portal hypertension. It is detected in about 50% of cirrhosis patients, and approximately 5-15% of cirrhosis patients show newly formed varices or worsening of varices each year. The major therapeutic strategy of esophageal varices consists of primary prevention, treatment for bleeding varices, and secondary prevention, which are provided by phar...

Ectopic varices in portal hypertension.

Varices most commonly occur and bleed in the gastro-esophageal region but ectopic varices can arise at extra-gastro-esophageal locations in the gastrointestinal tract like duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, rectum, biliary tree and at the site of a surgical ostomy. These varices pose diagnostic as well as therapeutic challenges during endoscopic procedures. Ectopic varices can also occur outside ...

Treatments for Rectal Varices with Portal Hypertension

Rectal varices are considered to occur infrequent, however, potentially serious cause of hematochezia. Various treatments have been performed to control bleeding rectal varices. Some investigators have reported that endoscopic treatments such as endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and endoscopic band ligation (EBL) were successfully employed for rectal variceal bleeding. EIS may be superio...