Budd-Chiari syndrome: Our experience of 71 patients

• Published in: Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 550 - 554
• Main Authors: Singh, V, Sinha, Sk, Nain, Ck, Bambery, P, Kaur, U, Verma, S, Chawla, Yk, Singh, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Science Pty 01-05-2000; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; aetiology; Aged; Angioplasty; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Budd-Chiari Syndrome - complications; Budd-Chiari Syndrome - diagnosis; Budd-Chiari Syndrome - therapy; Child; Child, Preschool; clinical spectrum; diagnosis; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; hepatic venous outflow obstruction; histopathology; Humans; Hypertension, Portal - diagnosis; Hypertension, Portal - etiology; Hypertension, Portal - therapy; Infant; Liver - pathology; Liver Transplantation; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; management; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; Prognosis; Tropical medicine; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Asia; India; Vascular disease; Human; Symptomatology; Treatment; Portal circulation disease; Etiology; Budd Chiari syndrome; Cardiovascular disease; Digestive diseases; Diagnosis; Venous disease
• ISSN: 0815-9319; 1440-1746
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1746.2000.02157.x

Background
: Hepatic venous outflow obstruction (Budd–Chiari syndrome) is frequently encountered as a cause of portal hypertension at our centre.
Methods and Results
: We studied the clinical presentation, therapeutic modalities and outcome of 71 patients with hepatic venous outflow obstruction between 1992 and 1997. Twenty‐seven patients presented with acute disease, while 44 had chronic presentation. Abdominal pain, distension, jaundice and upper gastrointestinal bleeding were the commonest presenting symptoms. The majority of patients had distended veins, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, ascites and ankle oedema. The diagnosis was made on the basis of inferior vena cavography/functional hepatography and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography and/or liver biopsy in 39 patients and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography and/or liver biopsy in 32 patients. Pulsed Doppler ultrasonography accurately detected the site of the block in 31 of 39 patients (79.4%). The obstruction was in the hepatic vein in 20 patients, in the inferior vena cava in 10, and in both in 41 patients. Aetiologically, four had pregnancy‐related disease, four tumour‐related, three hypercoagulable states, 18 inferior vena cava membranes and 42 were idiopathic. Of 30 patients in whom liver biopsy was carried out, eight had centrizonal congestion and necrosis, 13 had mixed features and nine had established cirrhosis. Seven patients underwent a shunt operation and surgical membranotomy was carried out in one. Three patients (4.2%) died in the hospital.
Conclusions
: Hepatic venous outflow obstruction is a common problem; patients present with abdominal pain, distension, jaundice, distended veins, ascites and ankle oedema. Chronic presentation is more frequent. Pulsed Doppler ultrasound, venography and liver biopsy are very helpful in diagnosis.