Portal Hypertension; Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Causes of portal hypertension

Portal hypertension can occur from a variety of reasons including:

• Liver cirrhosis: Liver cirrhosis is the end stage of liver disease, which results from various conditions including alcoholic liver disease and chronic viral hepatitis. It causes a disruption of the shape of the liver, causing abnormalities in the flow of blood. Liver cirrhosis is associated with many other symptoms of impaired liver function.
• Occlusion of the splenic vein: The splenic vein drains the spleen, an abdominal organ concerned with immunity and the destruction of red blood cell, as well as the stomach. This vein can be occluded in some conditions such as cancer and the use of some medications like oral contraceptive pills. However, it is increasingly rare.
• Budd Chiari syndrome: Budd Chiari syndrome is the thrombosis and occlusion of the hepatic veins that drain the liver to the inferior vena cava. It usually occurs when there is a hypercoagulable state where the blood can easily coagulate.
• Liver bilharziasis: Bilharziasis is a common parasite in developing countries which rely on rivers for irrigation. This parasite invades the liver’s blood vessels, causing their scarring, a condition called bilharzial hepatic fibrosis.