title: Incidence and clinical presentation of portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is due to many risk factors, but its pathogenesis is still not clearly understood. To identify the risk factors for PVT, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and complications associated with PVT in cirrhotic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to our unit from April 2009 to December 2014. The patients were divided into the PVT and non-PVT groups, and were compared by variables including gender, age, the etiology of cirrhosis, stage of cirrhosis, complications, imaging, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PVT was found in 45 (9.8%) of 461 cirrhotic patients admitted to our hospital. Most patients (45.9%) had hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis, with a similar distribution of etiologies between the groups. However, there was no positive relationship between PVT and etiologies of cirrhosis. Most patients (71.5%) were in the stage of hepatic decompensation. No statistically significant differences were found in complications including esophageal varices, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy between the groups. However, there was a significant positive correlation between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and PVT (P<0.01). In 30 patients with PVT, thrombosis occurred in the portal vein and/or portal branches, 37.8% were diagnosed on ultrasound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of PVT was 9.8%, mainly in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis. The development of PVT was associated with the severity of liver disease and HCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Medical Faculty, Inonu University, Malatya 44280, Turkey. yafur@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yasir Furkan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Cagin
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atayan
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: Firat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dagtekin
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult