Hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in clinical hepatology

Carlo Merkel; Sara Montagnese

doi:10.1016/j.dld.2011.03.002

Hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in clinical hepatology

Dig Liver Dis. 2011 Oct;43(10):762-7. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2011.03.002. Epub 2011 May 6.

Authors

Carlo Merkel¹, Sara Montagnese

Affiliation

¹ Hepatic Haemodynamics Laboratory and Clinica Medica 5, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Padua, and Regional Centre for Hepatology, Padua, Italy. carlo.merkel@unipd.it

PMID: 21549649
DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2011.03.002

Abstract

Portal hypertension is key to the natural history of cirrhosis and the standard way to assess it is the hepatic venous pressure gradient. Hepatic venous pressure gradient is a strong predictor of variceal bleeding/survival and is the only suitable tool to assess the response of portal hypertension to medical treatment. The clinical applications, indications and timing for hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement, together with measurement principles and costs, are reviewed.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Blood Pressure Determination / economics
Hepatic Veins / physiopathology
Humans
Hypertension, Portal / drug therapy
Hypertension, Portal / physiopathology*
Practice Guidelines as Topic