title: Portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis: just a common finding or a predictor of poor outcome?
abstract: Background & Aims. It is unclear whether portal vein thrombosis (PVT) unrelated to malignancy is associated with reduced survival or it is an epiphenomenon of advanced cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to assess clinical outcome in cirrhotic patients with PVT not associated with malignancy and determine its prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective search in one center from June 2011 to December 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  169 patients, 55 women and 114 men, median age 54 (19-90) years. Thirteen had PVT (7.6%). None of the patients received anticoagulant treatment. The PVT group was younger (49 [25-62] vs. 55 [19-90] years p = 0.025). Child A patients were more frequent in PVT and Child C in Non-PVT. Median Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was lower in PVT (12 [8-21] vs. 19 [7-51] p ≤ 0.001) p ≤ 0.001). There was no difference between upper gastrointestinal bleeding and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in the groups. Encephalopathy grade 3-4 (4 [30.8%] vs. 73 [46.8%] p = 0,007) and large volume ascites (5 [38.5%] vs. 89 [57.1%] p= 0,012) was more common in non-PVT. Survival was better for PVT (16.5 ± 27.9 vs. 4.13 ± 12.2 months p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that PVT itself does not lead to a worse prognosis. The most reliable predictor for clinical outcome remains the MELD score. The presence of PVT could be just an epiphenomenon and not a marker of advanced cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department and Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Omar D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Borjas-Almaguer
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cortez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Emmanuel I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: González-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bosques-Padilla
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González-González
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Aldo A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Garza
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Segura
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García-Compean
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Juan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Alejandre-Loya
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delgado-García
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division. Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González". Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Héctor J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Garza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult