Esophageal Varices

This prospective observational study aims to validate Baveno VIII criteria for detection of clinically significant portal hypertension and to evaluate additional predictors of esophageal varices in Egyptian patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease and liver stiffness measurement between 15 and 25 kPa.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of early postoperative oral intake (with a fasting period of 6 hours) versus delayed postoperative oral intake (with fasting periods of 24 hours or 48 hours) in patients with cirrhosis undergoing esophageal variceal ligation therapy.

Esophageal variceal bleeding is one of the serious and life-threatening complications of chronic liver disease (CLD). Studies have shown that the prevalence of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with liver cirrhosis is about 50%-60%. The annual incidence of variceal bleeding in these patients is about 5%-15%, and the rebleeding rate can reach 30%-40% within 6 weeks after the first bleeding. The 6-week mortality related to variceal bleeding is as high as 10%-20%, which seriously threatens the life safety of patients with liver disease. Clinically, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is the gold standard for the diagnosis and grading of esophageal varices. However, EGD is an invasive examination, which has certain application limitations such as related complications and high cost, which limits the promotion and application of this technology. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an accurate, convenient and non-invasive method for esophageal varices. To address this clinical pain point, Baveno VII guidelines state that spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) based on vibration-controlled transient elastography (TE) can be used as a noninvasive marker to predict esophageal varices (EV). Several studies have shown that SSM measured by TE has good diagnostic performance in relation to the occurrence and severity of esophageal varices. A study involving 191 patients with liver disease showed that spleen stiffness was significantly higher in patients with varices than in those without varices (63.69 vs 47.78 kPa, P\<0.0001), and the AUC of SSM for the diagnosis of EV was 0.74. In another study involving 260 patients with chronic liver disease, the AUC of SSM was 0.728 (95% CI: 0.665-0.791) for EV and 0.780 (95% CI: 0.714-0.846) for high-risk varix (HRV). The above results indicate that SSM has good clinical value in the prediction of EV. Pro9000X, a liver function shear wave quantization detector based on vibration control TE, has been developed by Wuxi Hisiel Medical Technology Co., LTD. The device integrates ultrasound image positioning and TE function, aiming to achieve rapid, quantitative and non-invasive detection of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and SSM. The results of EGD examination were used as the gold standard to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the spleen stiffness value detected by Pro9000X in patients with chronic liver disease, and the main evaluation indicators were the sensitivity and specificity of EV diagnosis. Secondary evaluation included AUROC, optimal cut-off value and diagnostic value of high-risk EV.

Variceal bleeding is a major complication of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis and is associated with substantial risks of rebleeding and death. Current guidelines recommend endoscopic variceal ligation combined with nonselective beta-blockers as standard secondary prophylaxis for esophageal variceal bleeding and type 1 gastroesophageal variceal bleeding. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt can markedly reduce portal pressure and prevent recurrent variceal bleeding, but its broader use in secondary prophylaxis is limited by the risk of post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy and liver function deterioration. The VIATORR Controlled Expansion stent is designed to allow controlled expansion between 8 and 10 mm. However, even 8-mm TIPS may still be associated with a substantial risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy. This trial evaluates an underdilated VCX-TIPS strategy, in which a commercially available 8-10 mm VIATORR Controlled Expansion stent is initially dilated only with a 6-mm balloon, aiming to achieve sufficient portal decompression while reducing the risk of excessive shunting. This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized superiority trial. Eligible patients with cirrhosis who have recovered from acute esophageal variceal bleeding or type 1 gastroesophageal variceal bleeding and have entered the secondary prophylaxis phase will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either underdilated VCX-TIPS or endoscopic variceal ligation plus nonselective beta-blockers. The primary outcome is the composite of all-cause death or clinically significant upper gastrointestinal rebleeding within 1 year after randomization.

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the accuracy of using routine abdominal ultrasound to predict the risk of esophageal variceal bleeding in adult patients with liver cirrhosis. Esophageal variceal bleeding is a serious complication of chronic liver disease. While upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is the current standard for diagnosing and grading these varices, it is an invasive procedure. In this study, researchers will use ultrasound to measure the patient's spleen size and portal vein diameter. These non-invasive measurements will then be compared to the results of a standard upper endoscopy performed within 48 to 72 hours. The goal is to determine if these simple ultrasound measurements can reliably predict the presence, grade, and bleeding risk of esophageal varices, which could potentially reduce the need for routine invasive endoscopic screenings in the future.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of high-risk factors-such as elevated portal venous pressure, concurrent large extra-luminal vessels, portal vein thrombosis, and prominent portosystemic shunts-on the efficacy of endoscopic therapy. By comparing with interventional treatment, the goal is to optimize the clinical management protocol for esophageal and gastric varices, enhance the therapeutic outcomes of portal hypertension-related esophageal and gastric varices, and improve patient prognosis.

The goal of this observational study: * To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive markers in predicting the presence and grading of esophageal varices in children with portal hypertension. * To correlate these non-invasive markers with the severity of portal hypertension and the grade of esophageal varices to identify patients at high risk of bleeding. * To propose a defined protocol for screening esophageal varices in those children.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the role of spleen shear wave elastography (SWE-SSM) for ruling in and ruling out clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) and for ruling in and ruling out high-risk esophageal varices (HRV) in patients with CSPH. Secondary objectives of the study include the investigation of the correlation between SWE-SSM and portal pressure in a subgroup of patients undergoing hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement and between SWE-SSM and transient elastography (TE-SSM). The values of SWE-SSM and SWE-LSM will be assessed during the ultrasound examination to which the patient will be subjected according to their care pathway. If inclusion criteria are met and informed consent is obtained, spleen elastography will be carried out (in addition to the routine SWE-LSM planned in clinical practice). Spleen elastography will not alter the standard ultrasound examination but represents a non-invasive diagnostic addition. There will be no treatment or experimental intervention that will modify the patient's condition or directly influence their clinical course. The aim is to collect data based on clinical observations without altering the treatment or the natural course of the disease.

Porto-sinusoidal Vascular Disease (PSVD) is characterized by a portal hypertension (PH) without cirrhosis. This can induce PH complications, like digestive hemorrhage from esophageal or gastric varices, ascites, or even portal thrombosis. Due to the rarity of MVPS, the treatment of complications of portal hypertension is modeled on the methods used in cirrhotic portal hypertension with non-cardio-selective beta blockers, endoscopic ligations or diuretics in first line therapy, as proposed by the Baveno VII recommendations. In complicated or refractory forms of PH in PSVD, the place of TIPS is also discussed, as in the field of cirrhosis. However, the experience of TIPS in PSVD is limited, reported in case reports and small specifically dedicated series. No predictive factors for survival or recurrence and tolerance were well known. A larger study with control group is needed in order to better know the right time and the right indication for the use of TIPS in complicated PH PSVD-related. The study will be retrospective, multicentric involving tertiary university French centers, expert in the management of TIPS. Patients white TIPS-PSVD will be compared with historical patients with TIPS-cirrhose, matched on age, sexe, indication of TIPS. The study will not comprise new intervention, only observational in a real life condition

Endoscopic esophageal variceal ligation combined with gastric variceal embolization using tissue glue is currently the first-choice method for preventing rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. However, the rebleeding rate remains relatively high. Factors such as extra-luminal vascular bundles in the esophagus and stomach walls, and portosystemic shunts significantly affect the therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an individualized treatment model for esophagogastric varices based on the anatomical and hemodynamic characteristics of the varices, to stratify patient risks and provide tailored treatment options. Before the treatment of esophagogastric varices, the vascular characteristics of esophagogastric varices are assessed based on imaging data such as portal venous CT and ultrasound, as well as clinical information. Risk factors influencing bleeding from esophagogastric varices are explored, and an endoscopic and interventional variceal stratification and treatment model is constructed to provide patients with personalized options for endoscopic or interventional therapy. During the treatment of esophagogastric varices, precise endovascular embolization of the source branch vessels of esophagogastric varices is performed based on hemodynamic models. The safety and efficacy of this treatment strategy are verified through randomized controlled clinical trials. After the treatment of esophagogastric varices, the feasibility of reducing the risk of rebleeding in patients with poor endoscopic outcomes is examined by using drugs that lower portal venous pressure, such as carvedilol or novel oral anticoagulants. Factors influencing recompensation and reversal of portal hypertension are also clarified.

The goal of this cross-sectional observational study is to evaluate the accuracy of fecal calprotectin versus non-invasive scores in assessing the presence and grading of esophageal varices in Egyptian patients. Researchers will compare fecal calprotectin levels in cirrhotic patients with and without esophageal varices (EVs) and healthy subjects. researchers will also evaluate the performance of fecal calprotectin, AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) score, fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) score, and platelet-spleen diameter ratio (PSR) for predicting esophageal varices. Participants will undergo history-taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, fecal calprotectin, abdominal ultrasonography, and upper endoscopy. Endoscopic grading of esophageal varices will be done using Paquet's classification. The APRI, FIB-4, ALBI, PALBI, and PSR scores will be calculated. The performance of fecal calprotectin for predicting EVs will be compared versus other non-invasive scores.

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the cross-section band ligation technique versus the stepladder band ligation technique in esophageal varices prophylaxis. Researchers will compare cross-section and step ladder band ligation techniques for esophageal varices prophylaxis regarding efficacy, side effects, variceal recurrence, and survival. Participants will undergo history-taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and upper endoscopy. Index upper endoscopy will be performed to evaluate the presence, size, and grade of esophageal varices. Patients will be randomly assigned to endoscopic band ligation (EBL) either by cross-section or stepladder techniques every two to four weeks until eradication. After eradication of varices, endoscopy will be repeated after 3-6 months to check for variceal recurrence. For a period of 6 months, all patients in the treatment groups will be followed up every 3 months with clinic visits, including laboratory testing, evaluation of treatment-related side effects, bleeding rates, and mortality from EBL treatment.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) or carvedilol is more effective at preventing the first esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It will also learn about the safety of EVL and carvedilol in patients with HCC. The main questions it aims to answer are: Whether EVL or carvedilol is more effective at preventing initial EVB in patients with HCC with high-risk EVs. What medical problems do participants have when undergoing EVL or taking carvedilol? Researchers will compare the efficacy and safety of EVL to carvedilol for the prevention of first EVB in patients with HCC. Participants will: Undergo EVL every 3-4 weeks until variceal eradication and then receive regular endoscopic follow-up according to the protocol, or Take carvedilol every day (start from 6.25 mg/d and then titrate to 12.5 mg/d if tolerable). Visit the clinic once every 2-3 months for checkups and tests. Keep a diary of their vital signs (SBP, DBP, and HR) as well as symptoms.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether carvedilol plus endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is more effective for the primary prevention of esophageal variceal bleeding than carvedilol alone in carvedilol non-responders. It will also learn about the safety of carvedilol combined with EVL in patients with cirrhosis. The main questions it aims to answer are: Whether carvedilol plus EVL is more effective than carvedilol alone in preventing the first esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients unresponsive to carvedilol. What medical problems do participants have when taking carvedilol or taking carvedilol combined with undergoing EVL? Researchers will compare the efficacy and safety of carvedilol with or without EVL in preventing the first esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients unresponsive to carvedilol. Participants will: Take carvedilol every day (start from 6.25 mg/d and then titrate to 12.5 mg/d if tolerable) and undergo EVL every 3-4 weeks until variceal eradication followed by regular endoscopic follow-up according to the protocol, or Take carvedilol alone every day (start from 6.25 mg/d and then titrate to 12.5 mg/d if tolerable). Visit the clinic once every 2-3 months for checkups and tests. Keep a diary of their vital signs (SBP, DBP, and HR) as well as symptoms.

Carvedilol versus endoscopic band ligation for primary prophylaxis of oesophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients with arterial hypertension