Budd-Chiari syndrome: reassessment of a step-wise treatment strategy

The Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction. A step-wise management was recently proposed. The aim of this study is to reassess our treatment approach and long-term outcome.

The data of 37 Budd-Chiari patients, seen in our unit, were critically analyzed and compared with the ENVIE (European Network For Vascular Disorders of the Liver) data.

Most patients had multiple prothrombotic conditions (41%), of which an underlying myeloproliferative neoplasm was the most frequent (59%). The JAK2V617F mutation was associated with more complete occlusion of all hepatic veins (JAK2 mutation +: 70% vs JAK2 mutation -: 23% and a higher severity score. The step-wise treatment algorithm used in our unit, in function of the severity of the liver impairment and the number and the extension of hepatic veins occluded, resulted in the following treatments: only anticoagulation (n = 7.21%), recanalization procedure (n = 4.21%), portosystemic shunts (n = 9.26%) and liver transplantation (n = 14.44%). This resulted in a 10 year survival rate of 90%. Treatment of the underlying hemostatic disorder offered a low recurrence rate. None of the 21 patients with a myeloproliferative neoplasm died in relation to the hematologic disorder.

An individualized treatment regimen consisting of anticoagulation and interventional radiology and/or transplantation when necessary and strict follow-up of the underlying hematologic disorder, provided an excellent long-term survival, which confirm the data of the ENVIE study.