Focused review


Diagnosis and management of portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis of the liver

Logan Adams BS, Somedeb Ball MD

ABSTRACT

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is an occlusion of the portal venous system and is a common complication of liver cirrhosis. It can present as either an acute or chronic complication. Acute PVT can present with abdominal pain, diarrhea, ileus, and bleeding. Chronic PVT is often asymptomatic; however, it can be discovered in cases of worsening portal hypertension. Portal vein thrombosis is diagnosed by imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and computed tomography. Contrast-enhanced imaging can be used in cases with difficult visualization. Despite the hemostatic imbalance in cirrhosis, anticoagulants can be safely used to recanalize the vein. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures are also an effective method for recanalization.

Keywords: portal vein thrombosis, cirrhosis, anticoagulation, portal hypertension

Article citation: Adams L, Ball S. Diagnosis and management of portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis of liver. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles 2018;6(26):1–7

From: The Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas

MD: Parupudi MD

Submitted: 2/3/2018

Accepted: 8/1/2018

Reviewer: Sreeram Parupudi

Conflicts of interest: none

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License