2. Use of vibration controlled transient elastography (fibroscan) with or without platelet count to predict presence of large oesophageal varices

Abstract Background Patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) are at higher risk of developing complications from portal hypertension, including esophageal varices (EV). Baveno VI and expanded Baveno VI criteria, based on liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography combined with platelet count, have been proposed to avoid unnecessary esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening for large esophageal varices needing treatment (EVNT). This approach has not been validated in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, who have etiology-specific cut-off of LSM for liver fibrosis. Aims We aimed to validate the Baveno VI and expanded Baveno VI criteria for EVNT in HBV patients with cACLD. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of HBV patients who underwent LSM in 2014–2020. Inclusion criteria were: a) diagnosis of cACLD, defined as LSM >9 kPa; b) availability of EGD and platelets within 1 year of LSM. Baveno VI (LSM <20 kPa and platelets >150,000) and expanded Baveno VI criteria (LSM <25 kPa and platelets >110,000) were tested for EGD sparing. Diagnostic performance of these criteria against gold standard (EGD) was computed and compared to patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) etiologies, where these criteria have been widely validated. In these patients, the threshold for cACLD definition was >10 kPa. Results A total of 287 patients (mean age 56, 95% Child A) were included, comprising of 43 HBV (58% on antiviral therapy), 134 HCV and 110 NASH patients. The prevalence of any grade EV and EVNT was 25% and 8% in the whole cohort, with 19% and 5% in HBV patients, respectively. Table 1 reports diagnostic performance, spared EGD and missed EVNT according to non-invasive criteria and cACLD etiology. Both Baveno VI and expanded Baveno VI criteria performed well in patients with HBV-related cACLD. There was no significant difference on diagnostic performance of these non-invasive criteria across the cACLD etiologies. Conclusions These results support use of non-invasive criteria based on LSM and platelets to spare unnecessary EGD in patients with HBV and cACLD. Baveno VI and expanded Baveno VI criteria can improve resource utilization and avoid invasive testing in context of screening EGD for patients with HBV-related cACLD. Funding Agencies None

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PWE-046 Comparison of Transient Elastography, Thrombocytopenia and Splenomegaly in Risk Assessment for The Presence of Oesophageal Varices: Abstract PWE-046 Table 1

Gut ◽

10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312388.292 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 65 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. A161.2-A161

Author(s):

W On ◽

R Angelescu ◽

A Abelidis ◽

B Gurung ◽

R Saravanan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Transient Elastography ◽

Oesophageal Varices

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Non-invasive methods in the assessment of portal hypertension severity

Gastroenterologie a hepatologie ◽

10.48095/ccgh2021125 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 125-133

Author(s):

Soňa Franková ◽

Jan Šperl

Keyword(s):

Portal Hypertension ◽

Liver Fibrosis ◽

Shear Wave ◽

Transient Elastography ◽

Venous Pressure ◽

Liver Stiffness ◽

Invasive Technique ◽

Hepatic Veins ◽

Oesophageal Varices ◽

Non Invasive

Portal hypertension represents a wide spectrum of complications of chronic liver diseases and may present by ascites, oesophageal varices, splenomegaly, hypersplenism, hepatorenal and hepatopulmonary syndrome or portopulmonary hypertension. Portal hypertension and its severity predicts the patient‘s prognosis: as an invasive technique, the portosystemic gradient (HPVG – hepatic venous pressure gradient) measurement by hepatic veins catheterisation has remained the gold standard of its assessment. A reliable, non-invasive method to assess the severity of portal hypertension is of paramount importance; the patients with clinically significant portal hypertension have a high risk of variceal bleeding and higher mortality. Recently, non-invasive methods enabling the assessment of liver stiffness have been introduced into clinical practice in hepatology. Not only may these methods substitute for liver biopsy, but they may also be used to assess the degree of liver fibrosis and predict the severity of portal hypertension. Nowadays, we can use the quantitative elastography (transient elastography, point shear-wave elastrography, 2D-shear-wave elastography) or magnetic resonance imaging. We may also assess the severity of portal hypertension based on the non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis (i.e. ELF test) or estimate clinically signifi cant portal hypertension using composite scores (LSPS – liver spleen stiff ness score), based on liver stiffness value, spleen diameter and platelet count. Spleen stiffness measurement is a new method that needs further prospective studies. The review describes current possibilities of the non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension and its severity.

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STUDY OF PLATELET COUNT-SPLEEN DIAMETER RATIO AS A NON-INVASIVE PREDICTOR OF OESOPHAGEAL VARICES IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS OF LIVER

Journal of Evidence Based Medicine and Healthcare ◽

10.18410/jebmh/2018/29 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 132-134

Author(s):

Noas Tobias Minz ◽

Ganeswar Sethy ◽

Arjun Kuttikrishnan ◽

Teena Thomas ◽

Abinash Swain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Diameter Ratio ◽

Oesophageal Varices ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Cirrhosis Of Liver

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Validation of the Combined Model Based on Platelet Count and Albumin to Rule out High-Risk Varices in Liver Cirrhosis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/5783748 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Zhihui Duan ◽

Li Li ◽

Jinlong Li ◽

Shengyun Zhou

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

High Risk ◽

Transient Elastography ◽

Liver Stiffness ◽

Hepatitis B Infection ◽

Combined Model ◽

Blood Tests ◽

Compensated Cirrhosis ◽

Cirrhotic Patients ◽

Rule Out

Background. The Baveno VI criteria based on platelet count and liver stiffness, measured by transient elastography (TE), have been proposed to rule out high-risk varices (HRV) defined as medium or large-sized varices or the presence of high-risk stigmata (cherry red spots and red wale marks). However, TE is not available in all hospitals. Recently, the Rete Sicilia Selezione Terapia hepatitis C virus (RESIST-HCV) criteria recommended that cirrhotic patients with a platelet count>120000/μL and serum albumin>36 g/L could avoid esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening for HRV. Aim. We aimed to validate the performance of the RESIST-HCV criteria in two cohorts predominantly characterized with hepatitis B infection. Methods. Patients with compensated cirrhosis who had blood tests within three months of performing EGD and TE were enrolled retrospectively from two centers. RESIST-HCV criteria were applied to identify patients who did not require EGD screening. Results. This study included 188 patients from the Xingtai cohort (28 (14.9%) with HRV) and 104 patients from the Beijing cohort (19 (18.3%) with HRV). Of the patients who met the RESIST-HCV criteria (83 in the Xingtai cohort and 26 in the Beijing cohort), 0 and 1 had HRV, respectively, accounting for 44.1% (Xingtai cohort) and 25% (Beijing cohort) of endoscopies that were unnecessary. In the combined cohort, 109 (37.3%) patients met the RESIST-HCV criteria, only 1 (0.9%) HRV was missed, and the negative predictive value was 99.1%. Baveno VI and Expanded Baveno VI criteria spared 15.6% and 23.3% of EGDs, respectively, while missing 0% and 4.8% of HRV, respectively. Conclusions. In our population, the combined criteria based on platelet count and serum albumin performed well, saving 30-40% of EGDs and correctly identifying 99.1% of patients who could safely avoid screening endoscopies for high-risk varices in compensated cirrhotic patients.

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Platelet Count/Splenic Diameter Ratio to Predict Oesophageal Varices in Portal Hypertension

Medical Journal of Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences ◽

10.3126/mjpahs.v2i2.28190 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 192-196

Author(s):

Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane ◽

Manoj Koirala ◽

Bishwo Raj Baral

Keyword(s):

Liver Cirrhosis ◽

Platelet Count ◽

Portal Hypertension ◽

Esophageal Varices ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Diameter Ratio ◽

Oesophageal Varices ◽

Cirrhosis Of Liver

Background: One of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Nepal is portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. In rural areas where a lot of cases of cirrhosis of liver are prevalent and endoscopic expertise and facilities are not available, predicting the presence of esophageal varices through non-invasive means may reduce a large number of unnecessary endoscopies. This study is to identify the relationship of platelet count /splenic bipolar diameter ratio with the presence of esophageal varices in portal hypertension. Materials and methods: Eighty patients were included in this study between Jestha 2072 to Baisakh 2073 with the diagnosis of portal hypertension admitted in Bir hospital, Kathmandu which is a tertiary hospital of government of Nepal, which were mostly due to liver cirrhosis. The patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria underwent lab investigations, ultra sonogram and UGI endoscopy. The data were assessed for descriptive studies and means were compared using t-test. The cut off value of platelet count to spleen diameter ratio of 1150 was used to predict the presence or absence of oesophageal varices. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20 software Results: Platelet count to splenic diameter ratio with a cut off value of 1150 has sensitivity of 89.7%, specificity of 83.3%, positive predictive value of 96.8% and negative predictive value of 58.8% (p= 0.002, CI=95%) with 89.5 % accuracy. Conclusion: Platelet count to splenic bipolar diameter ratio can be a good predictor of presence of esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension in the resource poor settings.

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