The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) Working Party on Portal Hypertension has developed consensus guidelines on the disease profile, diagnosis, and management of noncirrhotic portal fibrosis and idiopathic portal hypertension. The consensus statements, prepared and deliberated at length by the experts in this field, were presented at the annual meeting of the APASL at Kyoto in March 2007. This article includes the statements approved by the APASL along with brief backgrounds of various aspects of the disease.
Background Acute variceal bleeding (AVB) is a medical emergency and associated with a mortality of 20% at 6 weeks. Significant advances have occurred in the recent past and hence there is a need to update the existing consensus guidelines. There is also a need to include the literature from the Eastern and Asian countries where majority of patients with portal hypertension (PHT) live. MethodsThe expert working party, predominantly from the Asia-Pacific region, reviewed the existing literature and deliberated to develop consensus guidelines. The working party adopted the Oxford system for developing an evidence-based approach. Only those statements that were unanimously approved by the experts were accepted. Results AVB is defined as a bleed in a known or suspected case of PHT, with the presence of hematemesis within 24 h of presentation, and/or ongoing melena, with last melanic stool within last 24 h. The time frame for the 123Hepatol Int (2011( ) 5:607-624 DOI 10.1007 AVB episode is 48 h. AVB is further classified as active or inactive at the time of endoscopy. Combination therapy with vasoactive drugs (\30 min of hospitalization) and endoscopic variceal ligation (door to scope time \6 h) is accepted as first-line therapy. Rebleeding (48 h of T 0 ) is further sub-classified as very early rebleeding (48 to 120 h from T 0 ), early rebleeding (6 to 42 days from T 0 ) and late rebleeding (after 42 days from T 0 ) to maintain uniformity in clinical trials. Emphasis should be to evaluate the role of adjusted blood requirement index (ABRI), assessment of associated comorbid conditions and poor predictors of nonresponse to combination therapy, and proposed APASL (Asian Pacific Association for Study of the Liver) Severity Score in assessing these patients. Role of hepatic venous pressure gradient in AVB is considered useful. Antibiotic (cephalosporins) prophylaxis is recommended and search for acute ischemic hepatic injury should be done. New guidelines have been developed for management of variceal bleed in patients with non-cirrhotic PHT and variceal bleed in pediatric patients. Conclusion Management of acute variceal bleeding in Asia-Pacific region needs special attention for uniformity of treatment and future clinical trials.
The purpose of this paper was to describe our experience with the endovascular management of splenic artery pseudoaneurysms (SAPA). Seven patients with documented SAPA on CT and/or angiography were considered for endovascular treatment. The pseudoaneurysms were located in the main splenic artery (n = 4) or its branches (n = 3). In one patient in whom the pseudoaneurysm was located in a hilar branch, selective catheterization of splenic artery failed. Metallic coils (n = 1), gelfoam and hydrogel particles (n = 1), metallic coils and gelfoam (n = 2), metallic coil, gelfoam and acrylic glue (n = 2) were used as embolization material in the remaining six patients. These patients were followed for a mean period of 11.3 months. Transcatheter embolization was successful in five patients with no procedure-related complications. In one patient, embolization was incomplete and the patient underwent surgery, but died on the 10th postoperative day because of irreversible shock. Another patient, after successful embolization, underwent surgery for management of an associated pseudocyst. Endovascular treatment is a safe and effective method of management of SAPA.
Background. Median survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is 2–6 months; conventionally liver transplantation is contraindicated. Methods. We studied outcomes following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) post-PVTT downstaging (DS) with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and tumor ablation (with transarterial chemo- or radio-embolization). Results. Of 2348 consecutive LDLTs, 451 were for HCC, including 25 with PVTT (mainly Vp1-3) after successful DS and 20 with Vp1/2 PVTT without previous treatment. DS was attempted in 43, was successful in 27 (63%), and 25 underwent LDLT. Median alpha fetoprotein (AFP) at diagnosis and pre-LDLT were 78.1 ng/mL (3-58 200) and 55 ng/mL (2-7320), respectively. Mean DS to LDLT time was 10.2 weeks (5–16). Excluding 2 postoperative deaths, 1- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 82%, 57%, and 77%, 51%, respectively, comparable to survival in 382 HCC patients without PVTT undergoing upfront LDLT (5-y OS 65%, P = 0.06; RFS 66%, P = 0.33, respectively). There was a trend toward better OS in DS+LDLT versus non-DS LDLT group (5-y OS/RFS—48%/40%). OS was significantly better than in HCC-PVTT patients receiving no intervention or palliative Sorafenib alone (1-y OS of 0%) or Sorafenib with TARE/SBRT (2-y OS of 17%) at our center during the study period. Initial AFP <400 ng/mL and AFP fall (initial minus pre-LDLT) >2000 ng/mL predicted better RFS; Grade III/IV predicted worse OS in DS patients. Conclusions. HCC patients with PVTT can achieve acceptable survival with LDLT after successful DS. Low initial AFP level, a significant drop in AFP with DS and low tumor grade, favorably influence survival in these patients.
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