Portal Hypertension

The liver is one of the main organs that is concerned with clearing toxins from the body. Liver function also includes hydrolysis of fats. Whenever there is any impairment in the functioning of the liver, then it means that there is some kind of a liver disease present. One serious condition that could occur is known as portal hypertension. The liver has a rich blood flow and one of the main vessels that supply it with blood is the hepatic portal vein. When the pressure in this vein increases, it can have a severe effect on the person's health.

Portal Hypertension Causes

There can be many causes of portal hypertension which could originate in the liver or it may even be a systemic problem. One of the most common causes of this condition is liver cirrhosis. This is a condition where there is scarring of the liver tissue, which may lead to obstruction of normal blood flow, which could lead to an increase in the blood pressure in the hepatic portal vein. Other causes include thrombosis that may arise anywhere in the body, like hepatic vein thrombosis or a thrombosis in the inferior vena cava.

Portal Hypertension Symptoms

There are quite a few tell-tale signs of an increase in the pressure in the hepatic portal vein:

• A person may develop ascites symptoms, that is, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Due to this, there is an increased risk of development of an infection in this region.
• Often, due to the problems with the liver, the spleen does not manage to function properly. This leads to an enlarged spleen which does function properly, due to which, there is sequestration of the various blood cells. This leads to an overall deficiency of blood cells in the body, which is known as pancytopenia.
• Another common symptom of portal hypertension is melena, or the formation of black stools. This takes place because, as the pressure in the vein increases due to the obstruction, the blood flow is diverted to other areas of the abdomen, which may lead to bursting of these blood vessels and subsequent internal bleeding and formation of black stools.
• In some cases, if the condition is very severe, then it may lead to hepatic encephalopathy, wherein there is impairment in the functioning of the brain due to improper blood flow in the body, brought on by impaired blood flow in the liver.

Portal Hypertension Treatment

As most of the symptoms of an increase in the pressure in the hepatic vein are brought on due to impaired blood flow, if the blood flow is restored in the vein and the adjoining region, then most of the other symptoms will recede on their own. The usual treatment procedure opted for is the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure. In this treatment, a shunt or a tube is placed between the hepatic vein and the portal vein, so as to restore blood flow. For the other symptoms palliative treatment is given, so that they do not further increase in their severity. One needs to ensure that there is no gastrointestinal bleeding from the varices that form due to the obstruction in blood flow in the portal vein. The ascites fluid accumulation can be drained and active measures need to be taken to control the hepatic encephalopathy.

This is a serious condition that could have dire effects on the individual's health if not diagnosed and treated in time; and may even lead to death due to internal bleeding. So, if you are showing any of the above symptoms, then please consult a doctor immediately, so as to prevent any future complications.