Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for the noninvasive diagnosis of esophageal varices: results of a multicenter, prospective, validation study.
OBJECTIVE
Noninvasive assessment of esophageal varices (EV) may improve the management of patients with cirrhosis and decrease both the medical and financial burden related to screening. In this multicenter, international study, our aim was to prospectively validate the use of the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for the noninvasive diagnosis of EV.


METHODS
A total of 218 cirrhotic patients underwent screening endoscopy for EV. Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio ((N/mm3)/mm) was assessed in all patients and its diagnostic accuracy was calculated. On the basis of previous results, a platelet count/spleen diameter ratio cutoff of 909 was applied to this population. The diagnostic accuracy of the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio was further evaluated for both severity and etiology of disease subgroups.


RESULTS
Prevalence of EV was 54.1%. The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio had 86.0% (95% CI, 80.7-90.4%) diagnostic accuracy for EV, which was significantly greater as compared with either accuracy of platelet count alone (83.6%, 95% CI 78.0-88.3%, P= 0.038) or spleen diameter alone (80.2%, 95% CI 74.3-85.3%, P= 0.018). The 909 cutoff had 91.5% sensitivity (95% CI 85.0-95.9%), 67.0% specificity (95% CI 56.9-76.1%), 76.6% positive predictive value, 87.0% negative predictive value, 2.77 positive likelihood ratio, and 0.13 negative likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of EV. Accuracy of the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio was maintained for both severity and etiology of disease subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio may be proposed as a safe and reproducible means to improve the management of cirrhotic patients who should undergo screening endoscopy for EV.
Giannini
Edoardo G
EG
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Zaman
Atif
A
Kreil
Anna
A
Floreani
Annarosa
A
Dulbecco
Pietro
P
Testa
Emanuela
E
Sohaey
Roya
R
Verhey
Peter
P
Peck-Radosavljevic
Markus
M
Mansi
Carlo
C
Savarino
Vincenzo
V
Testa
Roberto
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology*