Portal hypertensive gastropathy in cirrhotics without varices: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
Information is lacking on portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) in cirrhotics without varices; our aim it is to evaluate whether clinical and sonographic parameters are associated with PHG and may provide information suitable for the management of these patients.


METHODS
After endoscopic selection of 145 cirrhotics without varices, 75 with PHG and 70 without PHG, clinical and sonographic characteristics were assessed.


RESULTS
Forty portosystemic shunts were present in 27 patients. The mean Child-Pugh score was 6.3±1.4 and 5.6±0.5 in patients with severe and mild PHG, respectively (P=0.004). The mean portal vein diameter was 10.4±1.7 and 11.6±2.0 mm in cirrhotics without and with PHG, respectively (P=0.0002).


CONCLUSIONS
A link between the presence of PHG and a more advanced phase of cirrhosis was found. Duplex Doppler sonography was confirmed to be a valuable diagnostic method in monitoring cirrhosis. Management of these patients cannot be performed on the basis of a single diagnostic method, and a multimodal diagnostic approach is required.
aDepartment of Clinical Medicine, 'Campus Bio-Medico' University, Rome bVI Department of Internal Medicine and Interventional Ultrasonography, Policlinico 'S. Matteo' Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
Enrico Maria
EM
Zardi
Giorgia
G
Ghittoni
Domenico
D
Margiotta
Francesca Torello
FT
Viera
Francesco
F
Di Matteo
Sandro
S
Rossi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex