Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038002 (splenomegaly)
 9,873 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A wide spectrum of clinical and morphologic changes in 32 autopsy cases of noncirrhotic portal fibrosis have been described. The disease frequently occurs in younger patients with a long history of splenomegaly, usually with a history of hematemesis. Females are affected almost equally as often as males in contrast to cirrhosis. The patients tolerate the bleeding episodes well. Death is usually due to massive hemorrhage. The diagnosis is achieved through a process of exclusion. A critical analysis of hemodynamic data, a splenoportogram, liver function tests (particularly Bromsulphalein retention) and angiographic data is mandatory. Needle biopsy of the liver appears to have limited value in making the diagnosis. The gross anatomic findings vary from a nearly normal liver to gross nodularity, seen particularly on the posteroinferior surface. In some cases these nodules are seen to physically impede the portal blood flow and contribute to portal hypertension. Phlebosclerosis of the smaller radicles of the portal vein and irregular scarring are the outstanding morphologic features of the disease. These changes are usually associated with irregular dilatation of some of the larger intrahepatic branches of the portal vein as well as fibroelastosis with or without occluding or organizing thrombi in both intra- and extrahepatic branches of the portal vein. The changes in hepatic venous radicles are characterized by irregular sclerosis, which seems to contribute significantly toward postsinusoidal block in advanced cases. The probable mode of evolution is discussed.
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PMID:The pathology of noncirrhotic portal fibrosis: a review of 32 autopsy cases. 46 24

Patients with portal hypertension without a demonstrable cause have been reported in the literature under several different terms, such as tropical splenomegaly, phlebosclerosis, obliterative portal venopathy of the liver, hepatoportal sclerosis, noncirrhotic portal fibrosis and idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH). Such patients have been described worldwide, with a greater frequency in India and Japan. The etiology of IPH is still unknown, although some of the theories that have been proposed are: exposure to toxic substances or drugs, relationship with the hepatitis-B virus, immunologic abnormalities, systemic or intra-abdominal infections and clotting abnormalities. The main histopathologic findings are periportal fibrosis, obliteration of small portal veins and sclerosis of the interhepatic portal system. Although these abnormalities could be secondary to portal hypertension, it has been proposed that the vascular changes are the primary event that leads to portal hypertension. The site of increased resistance in IPH is found at the presinusoidal level with some component at the sinusoidal and postsinusoidal level. The main symptoms and signs in IPH are upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding secondary to esophago-gastric varices, symptoms related to anemia, and splenomegaly. The long-term prognosis for patients with IPH is better than for cirrhotic patients, with a 77% survival at ten years. Variceal bleeding is the main cause of death, and some treatment to prevent bleeding or its recurrence is warranted. Although no comparative trial has been performed in IPH patients, the surgical management could be the first choice for elective treatment in these patient without liver failure, because of the high re-bleeding rates with chronic sclerotherapy. Pharmacologic management could be considered for prophylactic treatment of these patients.
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PMID:[Idiopathic portal hypertension]. 186 3

A rare chronic course of Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with thrombosis of the portal vein was observed in a 30-year-old male patient suffering from postmyocarditic cardiosclerosis. At the age of 24 the patient had infectious allergic myocarditis, was hospitalized and rehospitalized for circulatory insufficiency. Upon 3 years since the disease onset the patient was admitted to a hematological department for progressive enlargement of the spleen. The diagnosis on discharge was idiopathic myelofibrosis with portal hypertension. The treatment included prednisolone, blood transfusions, myelosan. In 1987 the patient presented with enlarged liver and spleen, ascites, gastric and esophageal varicosis, augmenting hepatic insufficiency clinically evaluated as hepatic cirrhosis. Postmortem examination revealed macrofocal cardiosclerosis, splenomegaly, ascites, portal varicosis, enlarged nutmeg liver with smooth surface. Microscopically there was phlebosclerosis and phlebothrombosis varying in duration and involving predominantly medial branches of the hepatic and portal veins, liver fibrosis. The findings provided evidence for the final diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome running an uncommon chronic course.
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PMID:[The chronic form of the Budd-Chiari syndrome]. 297 4

Portal hypertension is defined as an increase of the portal venous pressure over 20 cm H2O or 7 mm Hg, respectively. It may be induced by different types of portal venous stenosis or obstruction, primarily by cirrhosis and fibrosis of the liver and, less frequent by posthepatic disorders such as the Budd-Chiari-syndrome or congestive heart failure. Portal hypertension is followed by ectasia and phlebosclerosis of the portal vein, by splenomegaly, ascites and by various types of collateral circulation. Among these, oesophageal varices, are most important since they often lead to acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, the major complication of portal hypertension. Bleeding from oesophaeal varices is essentially based on atrophy of the squamous epithelium, caused by ischemia from local hypoxia and venous stasis. Portal hypertension and the frequently compromised blood clotting mechanism due to reduced synthesis of clotting factors in the liver aggravate the bleeding. Atrophy of the esophageal mucosa presents an area of decreased resistance likely to ulcerate with easy erosion of the varices--usually lying very superficially--; with mechanical irritation by food or peptic erosion from gastroesophageal reflux being frequent inducers of hemorrhage.
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PMID:[Pathologic-anatomic reflections on portal hypertension (author's transl)]. 624 21

A few cases of sarcoidosis are associated with progressive liver disease, with a wide variety of clinicopathologic features. Herein, we report an autopsy case (65-year-old man). During an examination for liver dysfunction, cirrhosis with cholestatic dysfunction and splenomegaly were found. Needle liver biopsy revealed cirrhosis with lymphocytic piecemeal necrosis, dense septal fibrosis, and ductopenia. In addition, noncaseating epithelioid granuloma was also seen in the periportal region. Ductal enzymes and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were elevated, although antimitochondrial antibodies were negative. Instead, angiotensin-converting enzyme was elevated. He died of pulmonary failure and lung cancer. The autopsy liver (1,220 g) showed multinodular cirrhosis with broad and dense septa that divided the parenchyma. Mild lymphoid cell infiltration was seen in the periportal region. About a half of the interlobular bile ducts were lost, and the remaining bile ducts showed prominent periductal fibrosis, resembling sclerosing cholangitis. Interestingly, a few interlobular bile ducts showed chronic nonsuppurative cholangitis with epithelioid granulomas. Intrahepatic portal veins showed luminal narrowing with prominent phlebosclerosis. Hepatobiliary pathologies that resemble primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis and that are followed by vanishing bile duct syndrome, chronic active hepatitis-related cirrhosis, and intrahepatic portal venous phlebosclerosis occur in a single case of sarcoidosis.
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PMID:Hepatic sarcoidosis with vanishing bile duct syndrome, cirrhosis, and portal phlebosclerosis. Report of an autopsy case. 1120 61