Published online Oct 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i10.1177
Revised: August 21, 2024
Accepted: September 6, 2024
Published online: October 27, 2024
Processing time: 156 Days and 18.7 Hours
Liver cirrhosis is the end stage of progressive liver fibrosis as a consequence of chronic liver inflammation, wherein the standard hepatic architecture is replaced by regenerative hepatic nodules, which eventually lead to liver failure. Cirrhosis without any symptoms is referred to as compensated cirrhosis. Complications such as ascites, variceal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy indicate the onset of decompensated cirrhosis. Gastroesophageal varices are the hallmark of clini
To determine the accuracy of the platelet count-to-spleen diameter (PC/SD) ratio to evaluate esophageal varices (EV) in patients with cirrhosis.
This retrospective observational study was conducted at Tikur Anbessa Specia
Of the 140 participants, 67% were men. Hepatitis B (38%) was the most common cause of cirrhosis, followed by cryptogenic cirrhosis (28%) and hepatitis C (16%). Approximately 83.6% of the participants had endoscopic evidence of EV, whereas 51.1% had gastric varices. Decompensated cirrhosis and PC were associated with the presence of EV with adjusted odds ratios of 12.63 (95%CI: 3.16-67.58, P = 0.001) and 0.14 (95%CI: 0.037-0.52, P = 0.004), respectively. A PC/SD ratio < 1119 had a sensitivity of 86.32% and specificity of 70% with area under the curve of 0.835 (95%CI: 0.736-0.934, P < 0.001).
A PC/SD ratio < 1119 predicts EV in patients with cirrhosis. It is a valuable, noninvasive tool for EV risk assess
Core Tip: Esophageal varices are a serious complication of liver cirrhosis. This study evaluated the platelet count-to-spleen diameter ratio as a non-invasive predictor of these varices in Ethiopian patients. We found a ratio below 1119 accurately identified at-risk patients, outperforming platelet count and spleen diameter alone. This ratio could be a valuable screening tool in resource-limited settings, but further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.