Korean J Gastroenterol.  2001 Jul;38(1):48-52.

A Case of Idiopathic Portal Hypertension Treated with Partial Splenic Embolization

• Kim SY
• Kim BH
• Lee SH
• Oh JH
• Lee SM
• Kim GY
• Kim YH
• Lee JH
• Dong SH
• Kim HJ
• Chang YW
• Lee JI
• Chang R

Abstract

Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is a rare disease characterized by overt splenomegaly and portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis or vascular obstruction. The most common cause of death in IPH patients is known to be variceal bleeding, which is usually treated with surgical method. Recently, interventional radiologic methods such as transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt, ballon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration, or partial splenic embolization (PSE), have been tried to control portal hypertension. A 24-year-old man presented with repeated gastrointestinal bleeding due to rupture of esophageal varices, but his liver function tests were completely normal and any possible etiologies of his portal hypertension couldn't be demonstrated. He was diagnosed as IPH by laparoscopic liver biopsy after PSE, which could control portal hypertension as well. For twelve months after PSE, he hasn't experienced bleeding again. We report the case of PSE to control portal hypertension in a patient with IPH who presented with variceal bleeding.

Keyword

Hepatolithiasis; Cholangitis; Sphincter of Oddi; risk factor

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Cause of Death
Cholangitis
Esophageal and Gastric Varices
Fibrosis
Hemorrhage
Humans
Hypertension, Portal*
Liver
Liver Function Tests
Rare Diseases
Risk Factors
Rupture
Sphincter of Oddi
Splenomegaly
Young Adult