Potal hypertention cause
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portal hypertension causes Merck Manual
Portal hypertension means increased pressure in the portal venous system, usually because blood cannot flow easily through the liver.
Causes
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Pre-hepatic - before blood enters the liver
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Splenic vein thrombosis
- Compression of portal vein by tumor or enlarged lymph nodes
- Increased portal blood flow, rarely, such as arteriovenous fistula
-
Intra-hepatic - within the liver
- Cirrhosis - the most common cause
- Alcohol-related liver disease
- Chronic hepatitis B or C
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (fatty liver disease)
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Primary biliary cholangitis or primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Hemochromatosis, Wilson disease
- Schistosomiasis, especially in endemic regions
- Infiltrative liver disease, such as sarcoidosis
- Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension
- Cirrhosis - the most common cause
-
Post-hepatic - after blood leaves the liver
- Budd-Chiari syndrome: hepatic vein thrombosis
- Inferior vena cava obstruction
- Right-sided heart failure
- Constrictive pericarditis
The standard classification is pre-hepatic, intra-hepatic, and post-hepatic, with cirrhosis being the leading cause overall. Merck Manual overview
Complications include ascites, splenomegaly, low platelet count, esophageal or gastric varices, and potentially life-threatening vomiting of blood or black stools. Seek urgent care for either of those bleeding symptoms.
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