La thrombose veineuse portale de l’adulte: à propos de 28 cas

Abstract

AimTo study clinical, epidemiological character, aetiology and treatment of portal thrombosis in Morocco.Material and methodA retrospective study of 28 cases of portal thrombosis at Gastroenterology Department of University Hospital Mohamed-VI Marrakech for a period of four years between January 2004 and December 2008.ResultsTwenty women and eight men of the average age of 40 were studied. The clinical symptoms included acute abdominal pain in 11 cases, a mesenteric infarct in one case, an assessment of portal hypertension in 14 patients and ascitis in two cases. The abdominal ultrasound combined with Doppler in patients showed portal thrombosis in 15 cases and portal cavernoma in 13 cases. Local cause was found in 21 patients. The assessment to find a prothrombotic disorder was required in 15 patients, but it was carried out in only five patients due to lack of means. The assessment results were deficiency in C and S proteins in three cases, a protein S deficiency in one case and an AC antiphospholipide syndrome in one case. Twelve patients in whom thrombosis was considered as acute according to clinical and radiological evidences were given anticoagulant treatment for six months, while eight patients received anticoagulant treatment for life. The prognosis was good for all medicated patients except one patient who died due to a mesenteric infarct.DiscussionPortal thrombosis is the main cause of portal vein occlusion outside malignancy obstructive tumor. It’s a rare pathology with prevalence between 0.05 and 0.5% according to series; in our study, it represents 1% of hospitalised patients. Because of the low specificity of clinical presentation dominated by abdominal pain, it is usually discovered in late stage after the occurrence of portal cavernome. Abdominal ultrasounds accompanied by Doppler is an effective exam, which confirms the diagnosis in 85% of patients. Angiotomography gives more precisions. Many factors are often responsive of portal thrombosis. Etiological investigation is required to make treatment.ConclusionPortal thrombosis is a frequent pathology in our context. Its therapeutic care is difficult because of the high cost of its etiological analysis and its occurrence in particular patients.