Cirrhosis, variceal bleeding, and distal splenorenal shunt in hemophilia A.

Chronic liver disease has become a significant complication of the therapy of hemophilia disorders. We describe two patients with hemophilia A and hepatitis B virus hepatitis who progressed to cirrhosis with bleeding esophageal varices. Each underwent distal splenorenal shunt under plasma concentrate therapy without difficulty. One patient died 19 months after operation and unsuspected hepatocellular carcinoma was found at autopsy. These cases illustrate the potential severity of liver disease in hemophilia and the ability to safely perform surgery for portal hypertension if required.