RESUMO
Objective: to determine the relationship between the splenic index and the severity of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients
Material and Methods: fifty patients who had coarse echotexture of liver on abdominal ultrasound and clinically .palpable spleen were selected. Splenic index was calculated using abdominal ultrasound as a product of longitudinal length and transverse width across the hilus of the spleen. These patients were then subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and esophageal varices were noticed and severity was assessed using grades from 0-3
Results: relationship was observed between the splenic index and the severity of esophageal Varices
Conclusion: splenic index can be a useful noninvasive method to determine the severity of esophageal varices in patients suffering from hepatic cirrhosis