Spleen and liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography correlates well with hypertensive upper gastrointestinal bleeding risk – an evaluation of 143 patients

Introduction: Portal hypertension is a common complication of chronic liver diseases and leads to development of esophageal and gastric varices. Variceal bleeding is associated with a high mortality rate. Measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and upper GI endoscopy are considered as gold standard for portal hypertension assessment. Because both methods are invasive and HPVG is available in tertiary centers only, non-invasive methods to assess severity of portal hypertension and consecutive risk of variceal bleeding are desirable. Material and Methods: We aimed at identifying the diagnostic perfo…