Splenomegaly and variceal bleeding--hemodynamic basis and treatment implications

Splenectomy and splenic embolization have been advocated as definitive therapy in cirrhotic patients bleeding from varices. While splenomegaly is commonly associated with portal hypertension, no clear hemodynamic link between portal pressure and splenic enlargement has yet been established. In an effort to clarify the hemodynamic significance of splenomegaly in portal hypertensive patients the relationship between spleen size and portal pressure was retrospectively reviewed and the contribution of splenic inflow to portal hypertension prospectively studied. In 50 consecutive cirrhotic variceal bleeders studied angiographically, there was no correlation between spleen size and corrected sinusoidal pressure. Portal pressure was then prospectively measured before and after splenic vein clamping in 12 cirrhotic patients undergoing distal splenorenal shunt. No significant pressure drop occurred following elimination of splenic venous flow. On the basis of these data, there would appear to be no firm hemodynamic basis for splenectomy or splenic embolization alone in the unselective management of cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding.