Liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatic vena cava disease, a liver disease caused by obstruction of inferior vena cava.

Hepatol Int

Liver Foundation Nepal, Sitapaela Height, P.O. Box 3439, Kathmandu, Nepal,

Published: June 2009

Purpose: Hepatic vena cava disease (HVD), a form of Budd-Chiari syndrome, is caused by the obstruction of hepatic portion of the inferior vena cava. It is a chronic disease characterized by the development of liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As HVD occurred in areas with high incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and some patients tested HBsAg positive, it was thought to be the cause of LC and HCC. To assess the pathogenesis of LC or HCC in HVD, a long-term follow-up study was done.

Method: Fifty-six patients with HVD diagnosed by ultrasound (US) and confirmed by cavography in 31 and liver biopsy in 34 were followed up for an average of 14.8 +/- 9 years. The occurrence of LC was diagnosed by US and/or liver biopsy and that of HCC by US, elevated level of alpha-fetoprotein, and liver biopsy or fine-needle aspiration cytology, or computed tomographic scan. Other risk factors for LC/HCC such as alcohol use and HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections were assayed.

Results: Forty-four (78.5%) and 6 (10.7%) patients developed cirrhosis and HCC, respectively. LC/HCC occurred more frequently among those who had severe or frequent acute exacerbations (P = 0.017), but it was not related to alcohol use or HBV and HCV infections.

Conclusion: HVD is independent risk factors for LC and HCC. Severe and/or recurrent loss of hepatocytes caused by hepatic venous outflow obstruction and/or thrombotic obstruction of small radicals of hepatic and portal veins that occurred during acute exacerbations was considered important in the pathogenesis of LC and HCC in HVD.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716770PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12072-009-9122-5DOI Listing

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