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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient and Transjugular Liver Biopsy
Published on: June 18, 2020
Portal hypertensive gastropathy in cirrhotics without varices: a case-control study
Enrico Maria Zardi1, Giorgia Ghittoni, Domenico Margiotta
1aDepartment of Clinical Medicine, 'Campus Bio-Medico' University, Rome bVI Department of Internal Medicine and Interventional Ultrasonography, Policlinico 'S. Matteo' Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
Objective:
Information is lacking on portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) in cirrhotics without varices; our aim it is to evaluate whether clinical and sonographic parameters are associated with PHG and may provide information suitable for the management of these patients.
Patients And Methods:
After endoscopic selection of 145 cirrhotics without varices, 75 with PHG and 70 without PHG, clinical and sonographic characteristics were assessed.
Results:
Forty portosystemic shunts were present in 27 patients. The mean Child-Pugh score was 6.3±1.4 and 5.6±0.5 in patients with severe and mild PHG, respectively (P=0.004). The mean portal vein diameter was 10.4±1.7 and 11.6±2.0 mm in cirrhotics without and with PHG, respectively (P=0.0002).
Conclusion:
A link between the presence of PHG and a more advanced phase of cirrhosis was found. Duplex Doppler sonography was confirmed to be a valuable diagnostic method in monitoring cirrhosis. Management of these patients cannot be performed on the basis of a single diagnostic method, and a multimodal diagnostic approach is required.
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