Didanosine (ddI) use has been consistently associated with the development of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) [1–5]. We read with interest the recent article by Merchante et al. [6] showing an association of ddI use and abnormal liver stiffness (>7.2 kPa) determined by transient elastography (TE). This article raised the important question as to whether there would be benefit from scre...

The specificity of endoscopic biopsy specimens in diagnosing congestive gastropathy in 20 patients with portal hypertension, 20 patients with liver disease without portal hypertension, and 20 patients with a normal stomach at endoscopy without liver disease was examined. Histological assessment, which was performed without knowledge of the clinical details, showed changes previously reported to...

INTRODUCTION Idiopathic portal hypertension is a disorder of unknown etiology, clinically characterized by portal hypertension, splenomegaly and anemia secondary to hypersplenism. CASE PRESENTATION A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of malaise, weight loss, abdominal swelling and lower limb edema. His paraclinical tests revealed pancytopenia, large ascites, splenome...

multiple myeloma is a neoplastic plasma cell dyscrasia. patients usually present with bone pain, anemia, hypercalcemia and renal failure. unusual presentations include progressive bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, polyarthritis, amyloidosis of the tongue, and involvement of pulmonary parenchyma. early diagnosis is important for timely therapy. we present the case of a patient with clinical feat...

BACKGROUND Hemorrhagic portal hypertension, secondary to both intrahepatic and extrahepatic portal hypertension, is an uncommon entity. In this condition, the extrahepatic and the intrahepatic obstruction of the portal vein, due to chronic liver disease, produce a more severe form of hemorrhagic portal hypertension that is more difficult to control. The results of surgical treatment (modified S...

Urotensin II (UII) and its receptor (UT or GPR14) are involved in liver fibrosis and portal hypertension. Nevertheless, expression of the UII/UT system in the liver of patients with portal hypertension has not been elucidated. UII and UT gene expression were quantified in liver biopsy samples from patients with hepatitis-B-virus-associated cirrhosis and portal hypertension, and from normal cont...

In patients with advanced liver disease with portal hypertension, portal-systemic collaterals contribute to circulatory disturbance, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension. Angiogenesis has a pivotal role in the formation of portal-systemic shunts. Recent research has defined many of the mediators and mechanisms inv...

Portal hypertension is a major pathophysiology in patients with cirrhosis. Portal pressure is the gold standard to evaluate the severity of portal hypertension, and radiological intervention is the only procedure for pressure measurement. Ultrasound (US) is a simple and noninvasive imaging modality available worldwide. B-mode imaging allows broad applications for patients to detect and characte...

Intrahepatic portal hypertension accounts for most of the morbidity and mortality encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis, due to increased portal inflow and intrahepatic vascular resistance. Most treatments have focused only on portal inflow or vascular resistance. However, miRNA multitarget regulation therapy may potentially intervene in these two processes for therapeutic benefit in cir...