Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Portosystemic Pressure Gradient Measurements

Plain-language summary

Portal hypertension (PHT) is the main consequence of advanced chronic liver diseases (ACLD) and is often associated with severe complications leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Currently, the gold standard for the evaluation of the severity of PHT is the hepatic venous-pressure gradient (HVPG). The disadvantage of using the HVPG, besides the availability of the technique only in referral centres, is in the case of patients with vascular liver disorders because the HVPG underestimates the severity of PHT. Recent studies have evaluated the feasibility of the pressure gradient measurement through endoscopic transgastric and transhepatic access using special kit with a 25-gauge FNA needle (Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, NC, USA) and a compact manometer (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind, USA) that has the disadvantage of high purchase cost, no tracing of pressure possible and has not yet been properly correlated with the gold standard HVPG measurement or PPG measurement thus limiting its use in current practice. The aim of the study is 1. to assess and compare the correlations in the porto-systemic gradient measurement between a) direct portal vein puncture during TIPS insertion, b) direct portal and hepatic pressure measurements using a 22 Gauge FNA needle during endoscopic ultrasound procedure and c) indirect portal vein pressure measurements using the interventional radiology based hepatic HVPG procedure in patients with cirrhosis submitted to TIPS procedure for complications of portal hypertension and 2. To evaluate and compare the porto-systemic gradient obtained by direct portal and hepatic pressure measurements using a 22 Gauge FNA needle during endoscopic ultrasound and indirect measurement through HVPG measuring in patients with presinusoidal hypertension and those with portal vein thrombosis.

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