Portal hypertension overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Overview
Portal hypertension is hypertension in the portal stem which causes an obstruction in the portal vein and its branches. It is often defined as a portal pressure gradient (the difference in pressure between the portal vein and the hepatic veins) of 12 mm Hg or greater.
Historical Perspective
In 1511, Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance polymath, first describe the portal hypertension in an illustration in his textbook "De humanis corpore". “... the artery and the vein which go from the spleen to the liver become so large, to block the blood coming from the mesenteric vein; the latter vein dilates and becomes tortuous like a snake, that the liver dries and become like frozen bran, in colour and consistency…”, he mentioned mistakenly the portal hypertension as the outcome of this presentation.
Classification
Based on the etiology, portal hypertension may be classified as pre-hepatic, intra-hepatic, and post-hepatic. Intra-hepatic portal hypertension classified into pre-sinusoidal, sinusoidal, and post-sinusoidal disorders. Based on the function impairment in the liver, portal hypertension may be classified as cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic.
Pathophysiology
The exact pathogenesis in portal hypertension is disturbance in normal physiology of portocaval circulation. The main factors that affect the pressure gradient in blood vessels are blood flow (Q) and vessel radius (r) in a direct and inverse way, respectively. Portal hypertension is related to elevation of portal vasculature resistance. Peripheral vasodilatation is the basis for decreased systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure, plasma volume expansion, elevated splanchnic blood flow, and elevated cardiac index. Fourteen different genes are involved in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. Homozygous missense mutation in DGUOK gene found to be related with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. On gross pathology, cirrhotic liver, splenomegaly, and esophageal varices are characteristic findings in portal hypertension. The main microscopic histopathological findings in portal hypertension are related to cirrhosis, esophageal varices, hepatic amyloidosis, and congestive hepatopathy due to heart failure or Budd-Chiari syndrome.
Causes
Life-threatening causes of portal hypertension include cirrhosis, severe portal venous obstruction or thrombosis (Budd-Chiari syndrome), and fulminant hepatic failure (e.g., due to hepatitis). Common causes for portal hypertension include alcoholic hepatitis, autoimmune disease, bacterial intestinal infections (e.g., recurrent E.coli infection), chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver, schistosomiasis, and sickle cell disease.
Differentiating Portal Hypertension from Other Diseases
Portal hypertension must be differentiated from other diseases that cause ascites, splenomegaly, hematemesis or melena, bacterial peritonitis, hydrothorax, hypoxemia, and pulmonary hypertension. Diseases that must be differentiated from portal hypertension are malignant ascites, nephrogenic ascites, tuberculosis, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, hereditary spherocytosis, peptic ulcer disease, Mallory-Weiss tear, colorectal cancer, secondary bacterial peritonitis, malignant hydrothorax, sarcoidosis, nephrotic syndrome, heart failure, central nervous system depression, muscular weakness, idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease, and connective tissue disease.
Epidemiology and Demographics
The incidence of portal hypertension is approximately 25,000 cases per 100,000 individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The prevalence of portal hypertension is not known within the United States. The prevalence of cirrhosis, as the main cause of portal hypertension, is approximately 270 cases per 100,000 individuals in the United States. The age-adjusted mortality rate of cirrhosis is approximately 18.1 deaths per 100,000 population, based on the report of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The incidence of portal hypertension increases in early 4th decade in females and early 3rd decade in males. Cirrhosis usually affects individuals of the non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans more likely. For unknown reason, portal hypertension is more prevalent among people of low socioeconomic state.
Risk Factors
There are no established risk factors for portal hypertension. Cirrhosis as the main cause of portal hypertension has various risk factors. Common risk factors in the development of cirrhosis include intravenous drug use (IVDU), tattooing or piercing in unhygienic condition, needlestick injury, blood transfusion before 1992, viral hepatitis, and unprotected sexual intercourse.
Screening
There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening for portal hypertension.
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
Portal hypertension is increased hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) above 5 mmHg. The symptoms of portal hypertension usually develop in the third and fourth decades of life, and generally start with symptoms such as esophageal varices, caput medusae, spider angioma, and splenomegaly. Esophageal varices are typically developed 5-15% per year after cirrhosis. Most of the cirrhotic patients will develop the varices during the lifetime. Approximately 60% of patients with cirrhosis develop ascites in 10 years. 10% of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis will involve in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). If left untreated, 20-40% of patients with SBP may progress to death. The presence of variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome are associated with a particularly poor prognosis among patients with portal hypertension. They are the leading causes of death among patients with portal hypertension.
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Liver function tests for assessment of severity of the disease.
X Ray
Barium swallow is done in the presence of varices where it is seen as filling defects (bag of worms appearance). Barium enema is useful in cases of colonic varices.
Ultrasound
Ultrasonography is useful to note the size of the liver, spleen, portal vein, splenic vein and to look for the presence of collaterals.
Other Imaging Findings
Portal venography is useful in evaluating the patency and the caliber of the portal and splenic veins.
Other Diagnostic Studies
The hepatic venous pressure drainage measurement is the gold standard for measuring portal hypertension. If the pressure is more than 5 mm of Hg, it is considered significant.
Treatment
Endoscopy
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is very reliable. It shows the presence of cherry red spots. Proctoscopy is useful in cases of rectal varices.
Medical Therapy
Treatment with a non-selective beta blocker is often commenced once portal hypertension has been diagnosed, and almost always if there has already been bleeding from esophageal varices. Typically, this is done with either propranolol or nadolol. The addition of a nitrate, such as isosorbide mononitrate, to the beta blocker is more effective than using beta blockers alone and may be the preferred regimen in those people with portal hypertension who have already experienced variceal bleeding. In acute or severe complications of the hypertension, such as bleeding varices, intravenous octreotide (a somatostatin analogue) or intravenous terlipressin (an antidiuretic hormone analogue) is commenced to decrease the portal pressure.
Surgery
Prevention
There are no established measures for the primary prevention of portal hypertension. Effective measures for the primary prevention of liver diseases, as the main causes of portal hypertension, include hepatitis B vaccination, avoiding unprotected sex relations, precise screening of the blood products before injection, alcohol consumption reduction, overweight and obesity prevention, and diabetes mellitus prevention. There are also no established measures for the secondary prevention of portal hypertension. Effective measures for the secondary prevention of liver diseases, as the main causes of portal hypertension, include hepatitis B and hepatitis Cinfections, alcohol abuse management, weight loss or management, and proper management of diabetes mellitus.