THE PROGNOSIS OF IDIOPATHIC PORTAL-HYPERTENSION IN JAPAN

To clarify the factors relating to the prognosis of patients with idio pathic portal hypertension (IPH), we followed 171 patients with IPH un til the end of 1990, who were registered in the database among those w ith abnormal portal circulation as of 1985 in hospitals of Japan. Duri ng the follow-up period, twenty patients died; 6 from gastro-intestina l tract bleeding, 5 from hepatic insufficiency and 9 from other causes . Cox's proportional hazard model suggested that male patients (hazard ratio 4.85, 95% confidence interval 1.82-12.94), with a disease onset at less than 40 years of age (H.R.3.94,95% C.I. 1.31-11.57), and/or w ith varices (H.R. 2.86, 95% C.I. 1.05-7.77) generally had poorer progn oses.