Characterization of patients with portal vein thrombosis on non-cirrhotic liver at a university hospital in Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. Portal vein thrombosis is the partial or complete occlusion of the lumen of the portal vein or its tributaries by thrombus formation. It is associated with adverse outcomes and a poorer prognosis. Its frequency is increasing, often incidentally, due to the growing use of diagnostic imaging. Methodology. This is an observational study of a case series of patients over 18 years old who were documented with portal vein thrombosis in a non-cirrhotic liver between January 2012 and December 2019 in a fourth-level hospital in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Results. Ninety-four cases of portal vein thrombosis were documented. The mean age was 44 ± 15 years, and 56 % were women. The average onset of symptoms was 14 days. Thrombosis presentation was acute in 41 %, chronic in 44 %, and acute on chronic in 15 %. Clinically, 33 % were asymptomatic, and abdominal pain was the most common presentation at 62 %. The most common acquired thrombophilia was chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms at 18 %, followed by antiphospholipid syndrome at 6 %. The most used diagnostic method was triphasic CT at 58 %, followed by ultrasonography at 35 %. Sixty-six percent of the patients received anticoagulation, with warfarin being the main anticoagulant used at 56 %. Sixteen percent experienced some type of bleeding, although none were major. Conclusions. Portal vein thrombosis remains, in many cases, an incidental finding. An unusual number of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms were found. Anticoagulation is safe and effective, although the
use of direct oral anticoagulants remains restricted.