RESUMO
AIM: To examine the sonographic features of shunt vessels derived from the splenic vein at splenic hilum (SS), and explore the relationship between the SS pattern and clinical presentations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study in cirrhotic patients consisted of study I (n = 15), which compared the anatomical features of SS at ultrasonography versus angiography, and study II (n = 233), which examined the incidence/haemodynamics of SS and SS-related presentations. RESULTS: Study I showed that SS1 (running toward the upper pole of the spleen) corresponded to short gastric veins, and SS2 (running toward the lower pole of the spleen) corresponded to splenorenal/retroperitoneal shunts. In study II, SS were detected in 47.6% of patients (111/233), SS1 in 77.5% (86/111), SS2 in 17.1% (19/111), and SS3 (both SS1 and SS2) in 5.4% (6/111). The incidence of gastric cardia varices was significantly higher in patients with SS2 (6/19) than in those with SS1 (8/86, p = 0.0097), whereas the incidence of gastric fundal varices was significantly higher in patients with SS1 (44/86) than in those with SS2 (1/19, p = 0.00025) or SS3 (0/6, p = 0.015). There was no difference in the incidence of oesophageal varices among the three SS groups. The Child-Pugh score and grade of ascites was significantly worse in patients with SS3 than in those with SS1 (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0009). Hepatic encephalopathy grade was significantly worse in patients with SS2 (p = 0.0047) or SS3 (p < 0.0001) compared to SS1. CONCLUSION: The SS pattern facilitates estimation of the possible manifestations, indicating the direction of clinical management of cirrhosis patients. Potential poor liver function is noted in patients with SS3.