Transient Elastography For The Diagnosis And Application Of Portal Hypertension

Portal hypertension is a common complication of chronic liver diseases and is responsible for most clinical consequences of cirrhosis,which represent the more frequent causes of death in these patients.For example,gastroesophageal varices,portosystemic encephalopathy.Gold standard methods for assessing PH and its complications include the measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient and endoscopy;however,these are invasive,expensive and not available at all centres.Therefore,non-invasive alternatives have been the subject of extensive investigation.This review is aimed at clarifying the state-of-the art assessment of portal hypertension and at discussing recent developments in this feld.Particular attention is paid to new noninvasive techniques that will be soon available for potential routine use.The present review focuses on the role of ultrasound elastography-a novel group of non-invasive techniques used to measure stiffness in target organs.In the context of chronic liver disease these methods are used to identify the presence of PH,its severity,and the risk of PH-related complications.,advantages and limitations of liver and spleen stiffness measurements evaluated by different ultrasound elastography techniques in patients with advanced chronic liver disease is discussed.