Can portal hypertension and hepatic decompensation be predicted?

Excerpt

Liver cirrhosis is histologically characterized by diffuse nodular regeneration, collapsed liver structures, and prominent distortion of the hepatic vascular system [1]. The alterations of the hepatic architecture coincide with increased portal vascular resistance, evoking portal hypertension. Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) is a key manifestation of cirrhosis progression to decompensation, because it is pathologically associated with essential cirrhotic complications, such as bleeding gastroesophageal varices, pancytopenia with hypersplenism, hepatic encephalopathy, massive ascites, and hepatorenal syndrome. These complications substantially impair the prognosis and survival rate of cirrhotic patients; hence, the severity of CSPH is an indispensable factor when attempting to predict progression to a decompensated state and mortality among cirrhotic patients [1]. …