Endoscopic sclerotherapy is widely employed for esophageal variceal hemorrhage. However it has side effects and can aggravate portal hypertension by suppression of portosystemic shunt. The purpose of the present investigation was to study the effect of variceal thrombosis on hepatic venous pressure gradient and azygos blood flow. Eight alcoholic cirrhotic patients with a first variceal hemorrha...

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has recently emerged as an alternative means of providing data for patients with portal hypertension that is more accurate, less invasive and reproducible. It is well established that video-echo endoscopy, with combined endoscopic and sonographic examination, is comparable to endoscopy in diagnosing esophageal varices, but is more sensitive in diagnosing the pre...

Gastroesophageal varices bleeding is a major complication in patients with cirrhosis. Gastric varices (GVs) occur in approximately 20% of patients with portal hypertension. However, GV bleeding develops in only 25% of patients with GV and requires more transfusion and has higher mortality than esophageal variceal (EV) bleeding. The best strategy for managing acute GV bleeding is similar to that...

BACKGROUND Treatment of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with liver cirrhosis is not well established. AIM We intended to assess the safety and efficacy of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to treat PVT in cirrhotic patients. STUDY All 39 patients diagnosed with non-neoplastic PVT and cirrhosis from June 2005 to December 2006 were evaluated for anticoagulation therapy (AT). PVT wa...

M e t h o d s Design: Randomized placebo-controlled trial. Allocation: {Concealed}†.* Blinding: Blinded {clinicians, patients, data collectors, outcome assessors, and data analysts}†.* Follow-up period: Median 55 months (range 0 to 99 mo). Setting: 4 centers in Barcelona, Spain; West Haven, Connecticut, and Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and London, United Kingdom. Patients: 213 patients 18 to 74 ...

The barium esophagram is a valuable diagnostic test for evaluating structural and functional abnormalities of the esophagus. The study is usually performed as a multiphasic examination that includes upright double-contrast views with a high-density barium suspension, prone single-contrast views with a low-density barium suspension, and, not infrequently, mucosal-relief views with either density...

The portal hypertensive syndrome is responsible for many of the manifestations of advanced, decompensated l iver disease. Some of these complications are a direct consequence of portal hypertension: gastrointestinal bleeding result ing from ruptured gastroesophageal varices, PHG, and colopathy; hyperkinetic syndrome; hypersplenism; and an increased systemic availabil i ty of drugs and endogenou...