©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2020; 26(15): 1726-1732
Published online Apr 21, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i15.1726
Published online Apr 21, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i15.1726
Spontaneous porto-systemic shunts in liver cirrhosis: Clinical and therapeutical aspects
Silvia Nardelli, Oliviero Riggio, Stefania Gioia, Marta Puzzono, Lorenzo Ridola, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
Giuseppe Pelle, Department of Interventional Radiology, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Latina 04100, Italy
Author contributions: Nardelli S and Ridola L drafted the article; Nardelli S, Riggio O and Ridola L contributed to critical revision of the article for important intellectual content; Nardelli S, Puzzono M and Gioia S contributed to conception and design; Pelle G contributed to shunts figures; Riggio O and Ridola L contributed to final approval of the article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have nothing to disclose and no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: Lorenzo Ridola, MD, PhD, Doctor, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, viale dell’Università 37, Rome 00185, Italy. lorenzo.ridola@uniroma1.it
Received: February 15, 2020
Peer-review started: February 15, 2020
First decision: March 15, 2020
Revised: March 21, 2020
Accepted: March 27, 2020
Article in press: March 27, 2020
Published online: April 21, 2020
Processing time: 65 Days and 12 Hours
Peer-review started: February 15, 2020
First decision: March 15, 2020
Revised: March 21, 2020
Accepted: March 27, 2020
Article in press: March 27, 2020
Published online: April 21, 2020
Processing time: 65 Days and 12 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Liver cirrhosis is characterized by a progressive increase in portal hypertension and the consequent formation of porto-systemic shunts, that act as “release valves” to reduce the portal pressure, but also act as bypasses to normal liver flow. As the shunt becomes large enough, the complications appear including hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, portal vein thrombosis and the deterioration of liver function.