Advances in the study of gastroesophageal varices with portal vein thrombosis in liver cirrhosis

Abstract

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is one of the serious complications in the decompensated stage of liver cirrhosis, which is often accompanied by the aggravation of liver cirrhosis and other complications and in severe cases; it may induce gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage and endanger the lives of patients. Furthermore, the most common complication in decompensated stage of cirrhosis is history of gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage and the formation of PVT that may be a risk factor to promote each other. Presently, there are guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage in liver cirrhosis, but there is still a lack of in-depth understanding of cirrhosis complicated with PVT. This paper summarizes advances in the study of gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage complicated with PVT in liver cirrhosis in order to enhance the understanding of risk factors for diagnosis and treatment.