Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2014; 20(45): 16811-16819
Published online Dec 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i45.16811
Noninvasive assessment of portal hypertension in cirrhosis: Liver stiffness and beyond
Horia Stefanescu, Bogdan Procopet
Horia Stefanescu, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Horia Stefanescu, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Bogdan Procopet, Liver Hemodynamic Unit, Hospital Clinic, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Bogdan Procopet, 3rd Medical Clinic, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400023 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Author contributions: Stefanescu H and Procopet B contributed equally to this manuscript; both authors approved the final version.
Correspondence to: Horia Stefanescu, MD, PhD, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Albertoni 15, 40126 Bologna, Italy. horia.stefanescu@unibo.it
Telephone: +40-766-318283 Fax: +40-766-318283
Received: May 19, 2014
Revised: July 10, 2014
Accepted: October 15, 2014
Published online: December 7, 2014
Processing time: 204 Days and 20.8 Hours
Abstract

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is a good, but still limited tool to noninvasively assess complications and prognosis in patients with advanced liver disease. This review aims to consider the role of LSM for the diagnosis of portal hypertension-related complications and for assessment of prognosis in cirrhotic patients, and to highlight the drawbacks as well as some alternatives for improving the performance. Hence, this field is far from being closed, and deserves more attention. There is still a place for more carefully designed studies to find new, innovative and reliable approaches.

Keywords: Liver stiffness; Portal hypertension; Complication; Spleen stiffness; Prediction

Core tip: This review aims to consider the role of liver stiffness measurement for the diagnosis of portal hypertension-related complications and for assessment of prognosis in cirrhotic patients, and to highlight the drawbacks as well as some alternatives for improving the performance.