[Splenectomy as therapy for esophageal varices in a myeloproliferative syndrome]

We describe the history of a man aged 73 with a myeloproliferative syndrome and massive splenomegaly, who was admitted with bleeding oesophageal varices. After sclerotherapy and other conservative measures had failed to stop the bleeding, splenectomy was performed. Liver biopsy obtained at the time of splenectomy showed extramedullary haematopoiesis and no signs of cirrhosis. Six weeks after the operation no varices were present any more. Studies of the pathogenesis of portal hypertension in splenomegaly of different causes show the importance of the increased splenic blood flow as one of the main contributory causes to this specific type of portal hypertension. Therefore this type of portal hypertension can probably be cured by splenectomy, as we saw in our patient and as has been described in several case reports.