Retrospective comparative study of efficacy, safety and outcome of percutaneous intervention for Budd-Chiari syndrome patients with bilirubin less than 3 and 3-6 mg/dl

The Change in Liver Volume After Inferior Vena Cava and/or Hepatic Vein Venoplasty in Patients With Budd Chiari Syndrome With at Least One Patent Hepatic Vein Presenting With Ascites

Objective

To assess the effects of inferior vena cava and/or hepatic vein (IVC±HV) venoplasty on liver volumetry and function in individuals with Budd Chiari syndrome (BCS) who present with ascites and at least one patent hepatic vein.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 17 patients with BCS (6 males and 11 females, average age of 42.3 ± 11.9 years) who underwent IVC venoplasty for ascites caused by IVC blockage and at least one patent HV, either pre- or post-venoplasty. Liver function tests and abdominal CT scans were performed before the procedure and at three and six months post-venoplasty. The changes in liver function and volume before and after venoplasty were analyzed.

Results

Each of the 17 patients successfully underwent IVC±HV venoplasty. During the median follow-up period of six months, all patients survived. Comparisons with preoperative conditions showed significant improvements in ascites and liver function three and six months after the procedure (P < 0.05). The liver volumes measured before and at three- and six-months post-procedure were 2077.06 ± 185.53 cm³, 1742.00 ± 124.62 cm³, and 1632.71 ± 108.29 cm³, respectively. There was a significant decrease in liver volume between the pre-operative measurements and the three-month follow-up, as well as between the three-month and six-month follow-ups (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

IVC±HV venoplasty produced satisfactory clinical results in BCS patients. Following the intervention, there was a progressive decrease in hepatic congestion and an improvement in liver function which correlated with decrease in liver volume.

Prothrombotic states in portal vein thrombosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Both Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) have been linked to various prothrombotic (PT) conditions. The PT profile in Asians is different from the west and there are no nationwide epidemiological surveys from India. Hence, the present meta-analysis was aimed at analyzing the prevalence of acquired and hereditary thrombophilia among Indian patients with non-cirrhotic PVT and BCS.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search of Embase, Medline and Scopus was conducted from January 2000 to February 2022 for studies evaluating the prevalence of various PT conditions in Indian patients with PVT and BCS. Pooled prevalence rates across studies were expressed with summative statistics.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies with 1005 PVT patients and 1391 BCS patients were included in the meta-analysis. At least one PT condition was seen in 46.2% (28.7-63.7) of the PVT patients and 44.9% (37.3-60.7) of the BCS patients. Multiple PT conditions were seen in 13.0% (4.2-21.8) of the PVT patients and 7.9% (3.5-12.4) of the BCS patients. Among PVT patients, hyperhomocysteinemia was the commonest prothrombotic condition (21.6%) followed by protein C (PC) deficiency (10.7%), Janus kinase 2 (JAK-2) mutation (8.5%) and antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) (7.5%). Among patients with BCS, PC deficiency was the commonest prothrombotic condition (10.6%) followed by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation (9.8%), APLA (9.7%) and JAK-2 mutation (9.1%).

CONCLUSION

The PT profile in Indian patients with abdominal vein thrombosis is different from that of the western data with a lower prevalence of PT conditions in patients with BCS.

Direct intrahepatic portocaval shunt (DIPS) or transjugular transcaval intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TTIPS) to treat complications of portal hypertension: Indications, technique, and outcomes beyond Budd-Chiari syndrome

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is nowadays the benchmark treatment of severe portal hypertension complications. However, besides usual contraindication to the procedure (namely recurrent hepatic encephalopathy, severe liver dysfunction, right heart failure and/or pulmonary hypertension), TIPS appears regularly unfeasible due to abnormal and/or distorted anatomy. In this situation, the only non-surgical approaches to treat severe portal hypertension consist in the creation of an intrahepatic portocaval shunt from percutaneous (direct intrahepatic portocaval shunt - DIPS) or transjugular route (transjugular transcaval intrahepatic portosystemic shunt - TTIPS). These procedures have been rapidly adopted in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome but are only poorly reported in patients with cirrhosis and without BCS. Considering the broadening landscape of TIPS indication in patients with cirrhosis within the last ten years, we aimed to describe the techniques, safety and efficacy of DIPS and TTIPS procedures as an alternative to TIPS in case of unfavourable anatomy.