Etiology of Portal Hypertension in Children: A Single Center's Experiences

Abstract

BACKGROUND

All conditions that interfere with blood flow at any level within the portal system can lead to portal hypertension. For better management of this disorder, it is important to determine the underlying cause. In previ­ous studies, extra-hepatic disorders have been reported as the main cause of portal hypertension in children. In this study, we investigate the under­lying causes of portal hypertension in children.

METHODS

This prospective, descriptive study investigated the etiology of 45 children with portal hypertension who referred to Nemazee Hospital Pe­diatric Gastroenterology Ward from 2005 to 2007. The underlying causes of portal hypertension were determined by liver biopsy, abdominal so­nography, abdominal computed tomography scan, and liver Doppler so­nography.

RESULTS

In this study, 42 of 45 patients (93.3%) developed portal hypertension due to intrahepatic diseases. Extra-hepatic portal hypertension was de­tected in 3 (6.7%) patients with portal vein thrombosis.

CONCLUSION

Intrahepatic diseases were the most common etiology of portal hyper­tension among children who referred to our center.