Abstract:
Objective To explore the application of CT portal venography in the evaluation of spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSS) in patients with liver cirrhosis and determine the relationship between SPSS and complications of liver cirrhosis.
Methods The imaging and clinical data of 126 patients with liver cirrhosis in Affiliated Nantong Third Hospital of Nantong University from January 2020 to June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients included 71 males and 55 females, aged (55.7±10.3) years. All patients were evaluated for the presence of SPSS based on CT portal venography and divided into two groups according to the diameter of the shunt: large spontaneous portosystemic shunts (L-SPSS, n=30) and small spontaneous portosystemic shunts (S-SPSS, n=46) groups. Patients without spontaneous portosystemic shunts (W-SPSS, n=50) were used as the control group. The relationship among the presence of SPSS, shunt diameter and liver function, hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, portal vein thrombosis, and gastrointestinal bleeding were analyzed. One-way ANOVA was used to compare measured data with normal distribution among multiple groups. T-test was used to compare the two groups. Chi-square test was used to compare counting data between groups. Independent risk factors associated with SPSS in patients with liver cirrhosis were evaluated by multivariable Logistic regression analysis. Pearson correlation test was performed between shunt diameter and portal vein diameter.
Results Child scores and percentage of patients with Child-Pugh grade B or C in the L-SPSS group and S-SPSS group were higher than those in the W-SPSS group ((10.03±2.91) scores vs. (7.09±2.54) scores vs. (5.64±2.95) scores, 26.7% vs. 43.5% vs. 18.0%, 56.7% vs. 17.4% vs. 10.0%), and the differences were statistically significant (F=23.210, χ2=36.974, all P<0.001). Albumin level, liver volume, and portal vein diameter were smaller than those in the W-SPSS group ((34.97±5.22) g/L vs. (36.30±3.30) g/L vs. (37.59±4.05) g/L, (1183.91±367.31) mm3 vs. (1357.24±582.76) mm3 vs. (1475.68±432.46) mm3, (13.23±2.53) mm vs. (14.17±1.87) mm vs. (14.64±2.26) mm), and the differences were statistically significant (F=3.775, 3.467, 3.869, all P<0.05). The incidence rates of hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, and portal vein thrombosis in the L-SPSS group were higher than those in the S-SPSS group and W-SPSS group (63.3% vs. 43.5% vs. 16.0%, 80.0% vs. 60.9% vs. 36.0%, 66.7% vs. 37.0% vs. 24.0%), and the differences were statistically significant (χ2=19.144, 15.530, 14.476, all P<0.05). An inverse correlation was found between shunt diameter and portal vein diameter (r=−0.854 6, P<0.05) in SPSS patients. The results of multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for SPSS included Child-Pugh grade (OR=1.392, 95%CI: 0.595–3.158, P=0.043), hepatic encephalopathy (OR=5.934, 95%CI: 1.875–15.436, P=0.003), portal vein thrombosis (OR=5.332, 95%CI: 1.792–14.382, P=0.002), SPSS type (OR=2.531, 95%CI: 1.207–5.322, P=0.014), and shunt diameter (OR=1.021, 95%CI: 1.010–1.037, P<0.001).
Conclusions SPSS has a high incidence in patients with liver cirrhosis. CT portal venography can effectively evaluate SPSS and provide reference for the selection of treatment plan and the prognosis evaluation of patients with liver cirrhosis.