BACKGROUND: This is a retrospective observational study evaluating the prevalence and clinical characteristics of spontaneous splenorenal shunt in liver cirrhosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included a total of 105 cirrhotic patients who were admitted to our hospital between June 2012 and December 2013 and underwent contrast-enhanced CT and/or MRI scans at admissions. Spontaneous splenorenal shunt was identified. Clinical and laboratory data were compared between cirrhotic patients with and without spontaneous splenorenal shunt.

RESULTS: The prevalence of spontaneous splenorenal shunt was 10.5% (11/105). The prevalence of hepatic encephalopathy was higher in patients with spontaneous splenorenal shunt than in those without spontaneous splenorenal shunt (18.2% vs. 4.3%, p=0.062), but the difference between them was not statistically significant. The prevalence of acute upper-gastrointestinal bleeding was lower in patients with spontaneous splenorenal shunt than in those without spontaneous splenorenal shunt (0% vs. 18.1%, p=0.205), but the difference between them was not statistically significant. Patients with spontaneous splenorenal shunt had significantly higher Child-Pugh scores (9.50±1.65 vs. 7.43±2.02, p=0.002) and MELD scores (11.26±7.29 vs. 5.67±6.83, p=0.017) than those without spontaneous splenorenal shunt. In-hospital mortality was similar between them (0% vs. 4.3%, p=1.000).

CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous splenorenal shunt might be associated with worse liver function in liver cirrhosis, but not with in-hospital mortality.

Keywords: Liver Cirrhosis, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Splenorenal Shunt, Survival