[Mesenteric-cava shunt's results with autologous jugular vein graft in children with pre-sinusoidal portal hypertension].

UNLABELLED

Presinusoidal portal hypertension (PPH) in children evaluates without functional hepatic damage, and with the time, trends to compensate through the creation of spontaneous portosystemic shunts. Nevertheless, some patients suffer episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) that because of its frequency or severity, force to propose the change of surgical treatment.

AIM

To evaluate the results of the mesocaval shunt (MCS) with autologous jugular vein in children with PPH.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Among the 32 children with PPH treated in our Hospital in the last 7 years, 10 had episodes of GIB that forced to perform a surgical shunt. The types of shunt were distal splenorenal in 3 patients and mesocaval in 7. These 7 cases are the material of this study. The origin of the PPH was a cavernomatosis transformation of the portal vein in 6 cases and a congenital hepatic fibrosis in 1. Before the surgery the average number of episodes of GIB was 9 (range 2-15); all the patients needed transfusion of blood products and variceal sclerosis. In 2 cases a tamponade with the Sengtaken balloon was required and 5 patients were treated with somatostatin and propranolol. The Doppler ultrasounds revealed and intense hepatofugal collateral circulation in all the cases.

RESULTS

The initial flow through the shunt was adequate in all the patients except one who required a percutaneous balloon dilatation. Only this patient has suffered an episode of GIB. The hyperesplenism signs disappeared or improved in all the seven cases and the collateral circulation was significantly reduced. The pressure in the splenic territory decreased around 50% in the 4 patients that was measured. There were no cases of encephalopasty and only one child with congenital hepatic fibrosis shows signs of mild hepatic disfunction. The medium follow up post-shunt is 32 months (range 8 m-6 years).

CONCLUSIONS

The MCS prevents the GIB in the PPH not responsive to the conservative treatment; its effectiveness is related with an adequate permeability though the graft and at least in the cases with portal cavernomatosis (the most frequent in children) doesn't produce hepatic dysfunction. Doppler ultrasounds give a very precise information about the post-surgical situation and are an excellent method of follow up.