| Objective: To compare the incidence of chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC) and HBV-related liver cirrhosis(HBV-LC). We discussed the difference of the distribution of chest and abdominal varicose veins and the number of the spider nevi between patients with ALC and HBV-LC. We also analyzed the relationship of chest and abdominal varicose veins or spider nevi with age, gender, Child-Pugh score, main laboratory data and main liver cirrhosis related complications.Methods: We enrolled 67 patients with ALC and 64 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis who were admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology of the General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area between July and December 2013. The following data were collected:etiology, age, gender, Child-Pugh score, with or without chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi, the distribution of chest and abdominal varicose veins, the number of the spider nevi, main laboratory data, esophageal gastric varices and variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites of the patients at admission. The distribution of chest and abdominal varicose veins were divided into four types, including type I: chest and upper abdomen; type II: upper abdomen; type III:upper and lower abdomen; type IV: chest and upper and lower abdomen. The number of the spider nevi was classified into three levels, including level 1: 1-5; level 2: 6-15;level 3: >15. According to the etiology, the patients were divided into ALC group and HBV-LC group. We compared the incidence of chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi between the two groups. We also compared the distribution of chest and abdominal varicose veins and the number of the spider nevi between the two groups.The patients were divided into varicose group and non-varicose group, spider nevi group and non-spider nevi group. We analyzed the difference of age, gender,Child-Pugh score, main laboratory data and main liver cirrhosis related complications between patients with and without abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi.Results: The incidence of the chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi was significantly higher in ALC patients than in HBV-LC patients. The incidence of type I and IV chest and abdominal varicose veins was significantly higher in ALC patients than in HBV-LC patients, and that of type II and III chest and abdominal varicose veins was significantly lower in ALC patients than in HBV-LC patients. The incidence of level 1 spider nevi was lower in patients with ALC than in those with HBV-LC; and the incidence of level 2 and 3 spider nevi was higher in patients with ALC than in those with HBV-LC. The number of spider nevi was significantly larger in patients with ALC than in those with HBV-LC(10.58±7.42 v.s. 4.06±4.76, P<0.05). The age of the patients was not significantly different between varicose group and non-varicose group, spider nevi group and non-spider nevi group. The proportions of male gender in the chest and abdominal varicose veins group and spider nevi group were significantly higher than in the non-varicose group and non-spider nevi group. The proportions of Child-Pugh class B and C in the chest and abdominal varicose veins group and spider nevi group were significantly higher than in the non-varicose group and non-spider nevi group. Serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, prothrombin time and aspertate aminotransferase were significantly higher in varicose group than in non-varicose group, albumin was lower in varicose group than in non-varicose group.Serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase were significantly higher in spider nevi group than in non-spider nevi group. The incidence of esophageal gastric varices was not significantly different between patients with and without chest and abdominal varicose veins. The rate of variceal bleeding was significantly lower in the varicose group than in the non-varicose group, but the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and ascites was significantly higher in the varicose group than in the non-varicose group. The incidence of esophagealgastric varicose veins, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites was not significantly different between patients with and without spider nevi.Conclusion:1. The patients with ALC presented with the chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi more frequently than those with HBV-LC.2. The distribution of chest and abdominal varicose veins is different between patients with ALC and HBV-LC. The patients with ALC presented with cheat varicose vein more frequently, whereas patients with HBV-LC presented with abdominal varicose veins more frequently. The number of spider nevi is significantly larger in patients with ALC than in those with HBV-LC.3. The presence of chest and abdominal varicose veins and spider nevi implied a more severe liver dysfunction. The chest and abdominal varicose veins were not associated with the incidence of esophageal gastric varices, but the rate of variceal bleeding was significantly lower in the varicose group, and the presence of chest and abdominal varicose veins is also associated with a higher proportion of hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. The incidence of esophageal gastric varicose veins, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites is not significantly different between patients with and without spider nevi. |
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