title: Implications of portal vein thrombosis after splenectomy for patients with idiopathic portal hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is considered to be closely related to portal vein thrombosis (PVT). The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of PVT in patients with IPH after splenectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the rates, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of PVT in 18 patients who underwent splenectomy for IPH, during a mean follow-up period of 152 ± 83 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of the 18 patients (39%) experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, which was from the varices in 4. Eight patients (44%) had PVT, and the mean interval until its detection after splenectomy was 22 ± 41 months. The cumulative gastrointestinal bleeding rates 5, 10, and 15 years after surgery were 24%, 31%, and 41%, respectively. The cumulative survival rates 5, 10, and 15 years after surgery were 94%, 74%, and 65%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the cumulative gastrointestinal bleeding and survival rates between patients with and those without PVT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the high incidence of PVT in IPH patients postsplenectomy, it may not be related to their gastrointestinal bleeding or prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Teijiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashita
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwashita
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D011169:Portal Vein; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology