Management of Portal Hypertension – Digestive Diseases

Management of portal hypertension.

Management of portal hypertension.

Complications of portal hypertension are the leading cause of death in patients with liver cirrhosis. Rational medical and endoscopic therapy is guided by a thorough understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of ascites, variceal formation and bleeding, hepatorenal syndrome, and hepatic encephalopathy. The pathophysiology of each clinical entity is reviewed followed by an evidence-based di...

Management of portal hypertension.

Treatment of portal hypertension is evolving based on randomised controlled trials. In acute variceal bleeding, prophylactic antibiotics are mandatory, reducing mortality as well as preventing infections. Terlipressin or somatostatin combined with endoscopic ligation or sclerotherapy is the best strategy for control of bleeding but there is no added effect of vasoactive drugs on mortality. Non-...

Current management of portal hypertension.

The management of portal hypertension should be based on an updated knowledge of its natural history. Portal hypertension is an almost unavoidable complication of cirrhosis, and it is responsible for the more lethal complications of this syndrome: gastro-esophageal varices and massive gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, hepatorenal syndrome, and hepatic encephalopathy. Appearance of these compl...

Endoscopic Management of Portal Hypertension

Cirrhosis is the leading cause of portal hypertension worldwide, with the development of bleeding gastroesophageal varices being one of the most life-threatening consequences. Endoscopy plays an indispensible role in the diagnosis, staging, and prophylactic or active management of varices. With the expected future refinements in endoscopic technology, capsule endoscopy may one day replace tradi...