HEPATIC HEMODYNAMIC FEATURES IN PATIENTS WITH ESOPHAGEAL OR GASTRIC VARICES

One hundred and fifty cirrhotic patients with or without esophageal va rices and/or gastric varices were investigated by endoscopy and hepati c venous catheterization to evaluate differences in the degree of port al hypertension, main portal venous diameter and frequency of portal s ystemic encephalopathy. Hemodynamic values were correlated with varice s size as assessed by endoscopy. Patients with large gastric varices h ad wedged hepatic venous pressures and hepatic venous pressure gradien ts which were lower than patients with esophageal varices only, but si milar to patients without varices. In addition, in patients with large gastric varices, a decrease in the diameter of the main portal vein a nd an increase in the incidence of chronic portal systemic encephalopa thy were noted. Our results implied that patients with large gastric v arices presented different hemodynamic features including the degree o f portal hypertension and the incidence of portal systemic encephalopa thy from patients with esophageal varices only.