title: Study of portal vein thrombosis in patients with idiopathic portal hypertension in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence and clinical manifestations of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) in Japan during long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients with IPH were examined for PVT by sonography during a follow-up of 12+/-6 years. Clinical manifestations and patient outcome related to PVT were studied. Seventy patients with liver cirrhosis were examined by sonography as an incidence control of thrombosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine IPH patients had portal thrombosis (9/22, 41%), a higher incidence than in liver cirrhosis patients (7/70, 10%). Those with thrombosis showed ascites, marked hypersplenism, and low serum albumin. Four patients with thrombosis died. Patients without thrombosis showed less clinical problems after long-term follow-up. Plasma antithrombin III and protein C activity decreased in almost half of the patients. However, there were no differences in these parameters between patients with and without thrombosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Japan, IPH patients had a high incidence of portal thrombosis, a significant factor for poor prognosis. Whether the management of PVT contributes to an improvement of a clinical course of IPH or not should be clarified in further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuou-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. matsutani@faculty.chiba-u.jp
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsutani
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiike
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okugawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saisho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D011486:Protein C; D000990:Antithrombin III