title: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for palliative treatment of portal hypertension secondary to portal vein tumor thrombosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the palliative therapeutic effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) complicated by portal hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed TIPS for 14 patients with PVTT due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Of the 14 patients, 8 patients had complete occlusion of the main portal vein, 6 patients had incomplete thrombosis, and 5 patients had portal vein cavernous transformation. Clinical characteristics and average survival time of 14 patients were analysed. Portal vein pressure, ascites, diarrhoea, and variceal bleeding and circumference of abdomen were assessed before and after TIPS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TIPS was successful in 10 cases, and the successful rate was about 71%. The mean portal vein pressure was reduced from 37.2 mmHg to 18.2 mmHg. After TIPS, the ascites decreased, hemorrhage stopped and the clinical symptoms disappeared in the 10 cases. The average survival time was 132.3 d. The procedure failed in 4 cases because of cavernous transformation in portal vein and severe cirrhosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TIPS is an effective palliative treatment to control hemorrhage and ascites due to HCC complicated by PVTT.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China. jzb01@163.net
authors.forename: Zai-Bo
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Xin-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ming-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zheng-Ran
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kang-Shun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shou-Hai
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D010166:Palliative Care; D011169:Portal Vein; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*