[Five cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation after peritoneojugular shunt by Le Veen valve]

The authors report the cases of five cirrhotic patients who underwent peritoneo-venous bypass via a Le Veen valve. Coagulation studies revealed on the one hand a worsening in certain pre-existent abnormalities (thrombocytopaenia, decrease in plasma coagulation factor levels), and secondly a frank increase in F.B.P and positivation of the transfer test. Clinically, two haemmorrhagic syndromes were seen, one of which was fatal. At no time was euglobulin lysis time less than 30 minutes. The administration of small doses of heparin corrected these laboratory abnormalities in all patients and stopped haemorrhage in one. These findings as a whole indicate that in these five cases the bypassing of ascites fluid led to a state of disseminated intravascular coagulation.