Abstract
A Correlational Study on Spleen Stiffness and the Presence and Severity of Esophageal Varices in Cirrhotic Patients
APP Calimag, M.D.; II Yu, M.D.; GM Silva, M.D.
National Kidney and Transplant Institute
Objectives: To determine the correlation of splenic stiffness measured by transient elastography to presence and severity of esophageal varices.
Methodology: An Ambispective analytic cohort study. A total of 29 patients underwent Spleen stiffness determination by Point Shear wave Elastography and Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy to evaluate for esophageal varices. Relationships between the parameters were characterized using Spearman’s correlation coefficients. One-way ANOVA and Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the difference between four different grades of esophageal varices.
Results: 19 patients (65.5%) had varices with grade 1 (n=5, 17.24%), grade 2(n=7, 24.14%), and grade 3 (n=7, 24.14%) respectively. There was a significant difference among four groups in terms of spleen diameter (p = 0.048) and Spleen Stiffness (p= <0.001). A strong positive correlation of Spleen stiffness and severity of esophageal varices (r = 0.821) was noted. Spleen diameter and severity of esophageal varices were directly correlated but to a lesser degree (r= 0.446).
Conclusion: Spleen elastography appears to be a reliable, non-invasive and cost-effective method of variceal screening and should be considered in cirrhotic patients.
Keywords: Esophageal Varices; Elastography; Spleen Diameter; Transient Elastography;
Important Dates to Remember
| JRRE Activities 2023-2024 |
Proposed Dates |
|---|---|
| Resumption of face-to-face Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop Venue to be announced once finalized. |
July 21, 2023 (Friday), 1-5pm |
| Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences to be gaciliated by Research Coordinators per Institution | Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences per Institution |
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