title: Is there ileopathy in portal hypertension?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Portal hypertensive gastropathy and colopathy are well described endoscopic abnormalities in patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopic abnormalities in the ileum in patients with portal hypertension have not been well described. The aim of the present study was to evaluate endoscopic abnormalities in the ileum of patients with portal hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with portal hypertension of various etiologies were included in the study. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed to record esophageal varices, gastric varices and portal hypertensive gastropathy. Colonoscopy with retrograde intubation of the ileum was performed and the presence of colorectal varices, colopathy and mucosal findings in the ileum were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one patients (age 16-80 years, 33 men) were studied. Esophageal varices were present in all. Portal hypertensive gastropathy was present in 27/41 (66%) patients. Rectal varices were noted in 22/41 (54%) patients and 17/41 (42%) patients had features suggestive of colopathy. Ileum could be intubated in 38 patients (93%). Endoscopic abnormalities in the ileum were noted in 13/38 (34%) patients. Ileopathy as evident by endoscopic mucosal abnormalities was observed in 10/38 (26%) patients. Ileal varices were present in 8/38 (21%) patients. Three of these had ileal varices alone while the remaining five patients also had associated ileopathy The presence of ileopathy was significantly associated with the presence of portal hypertensive gastropathy and colopathy but not with esophageal, gastric or rectal varices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ileopathy occurs in one-third of patients with portal hypertension and is significantly associated with the presence of portal hypertensive gastropathy and colopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Surinder S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Deepak K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Bhasin
authors.forename: Sujeet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jahagirdar
authors.forename: Kaiser
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raja
authors.forename: Ritambhra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kochhar
authors.forename: Kusum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors