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. 2023 Dec 7;15(12):e50134.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.50134. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients With Cirrhosis of the Liver: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Lokesh Koumar  1 , Kuppusamy Senthamizhselvan  2 , Deepak Barathi  3 , Amogh Verma  4 , Pallavi Rao  5 , Jayachandran Selvaraj  6 , Vivek Sanker  7
Affiliations

Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients With Cirrhosis of the Liver: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Lokesh Koumar et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic liver disease very often culminates into cirrhosis and its associated complications. One of the serious complications is portal venous thrombosis, which can occur due to a variety of risk factors. One significant factor contributing to portal hypertension is portal vein thrombosis (PVT). In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of PVT among patients with liver cirrhosis in a tertiary hospital and identify the factors associated with this complication.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 93 diagnosed liver cirrhosis patients treated at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) hospital in southern India between June 2020 and January 2021. A thorough evaluation of the clinical condition of the patients and associated comorbidities was done. The patients then underwent Doppler ultrasound/CECT/MRI to look for PVT and its extent. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, version 24) (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY). Comparison between two proportions was done using two two-tailed Z-test/Fisher's exact tests.

Results: Our study found a PVT prevalence of 17.2% in cirrhotic patients, with a higher prevalence of acute PVT than chronic PVT. Ascitic fluid infection, longer duration of cirrhosis, and increased cirrhosis severity were significantly associated with PVT development. We found no significant associations between PVT and gender, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, or the duration of alcohol intake.

Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of early screening for PVT using Doppler USG in all patients diagnosed with cirrhosis. Additionally, anticoagulation therapy for acute PVT may be considered in patients without bleeding risks.

Keywords: anaemia; cirrhosis; coagulopathy; decompensated liver disease; portal vein thrombosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow chart depicting the working protocol
Figure 2
Figure 2. Number of patients who are found to have thrombosis in different veins using imaging by USG Doppler or CECT
PV: Portal Vein, SV: Splenic Vein, SMV: Superior Mesenteric Vein, IMV: Inferior Mesenteric Vein, CECT: Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography, USG: Ultrasonography, PVT: Portal Vein Thrombosis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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