Pathophysiology and diagnosis of portal hypertension / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Portal hypertension (PHT) as a consequence of liver cirrhosis is responsible for serious complications such as variceal bleeding, ascites and hepatic encehphalopathy. PHT is caused by increased intrahepatic vascular resistance and maintained by increased portal venous inflow. Increased intrahepatic vascular resistance has some reversible dynamic components related with activated hepatic stellate cell(HSC) and vacular activation mediators, therefore which come into the spotlight as new targets in treatment of PHT. PHT also induces hyperdynamic circulation by reduced systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and increased cardiac output. The gold-standard method for assessing the severity of PHT is a measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). However it is invasive, so non-invasive methods such as Doppler ultrasonography is under investigation as additive method.