ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Portal hypertension is a common diagnosis in Sub-Saharan African countries, with the majority of patients presenting late. This study aimed to understand Clinical characteristics, aetiology, the treatment offered in our setting, and factors associated with portal hypertension at a tertiary-level hospital, in Tanzania. METHODOLOGY: A prospective cross-sectional observational single hospital-based study was conducted at MNH, from May 2021 to April 2022. A minimum of 152 subjects were required with an error of less than 5% and a study power of 80% at a 95% confidence interval. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Ethical clearance was obtained from the MUHAS/MNH IRB. RESULTS: A total of 154 eligible participants consented and participated in this study. The mean age of participants was 42 ± 15.8 years (range 2-87). Most of the study participants were males 64.9% with a male-to-female (M: F) ratio of 1.8:1. Vomiting blood was the common symptom among the study participants 51.3%. Schistosomiasis 53.9% and viral infection 26.6% were the common etiologies followed by alcohol abuse 7.8%. Most were medically treated at 89.61% followed by radiological treatment at 8.44% while only 1.95% of patients received surgical treatment. There was a significant association between the grade of oesophagal varices and bleeding consequences (p-value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The majority of patients were medically treated while patients who require surgical care are unable to assess it. We recommend the establishment of a transplant services program to counteract the unmet need and more retrospective research toward policy establishment.