Tambucci R, Stephenne X, Channaoui A, de Magnée C. Liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic children. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(7): 103179 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i7.103179]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Catherine de Magnée, MD, PhD, Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, UCLouvain, 10 Hippocrate Avenue, Brussels 1200, Belgium. catherine.demagnee@saintluc.uclouvain.be
Research Domain of This Article
Surgery
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Jul 27, 2025; 17(7): 103179 Published online Jul 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i7.103179
Liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic children
Roberto Tambucci, Xavier Stephenne, Aniss Channaoui, Catherine de Magnée
Roberto Tambucci, Aniss Channaoui, Catherine de Magnée, Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, UCLouvain, Brussels 1200, Belgium
Author contributions: Tambucci R and de Magnée C conceptualized and designed the study, conducted the literature review, performed analysis, interpreted data, and drafted the original version of the manuscript; Stephenne X and Channaoui A conducted the literature review and made critical revisions; all authors prepared the draft and approved the submitted version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors have a conflict of interest related to the manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Catherine de Magnée, MD, PhD, Pediatric Surgery and Transplantation Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, UCLouvain, 10 Hippocrate Avenue, Brussels 1200, Belgium. catherine.demagnee@saintluc.uclouvain.be
Received: November 11, 2024 Revised: April 12, 2025 Accepted: June 7, 2025 Published online: July 27, 2025 Processing time: 256 Days and 10.9 Hours
Abstract
Portal hypertension and cirrhosis are associated with severe hemodynamic changes in hepatic and systemic circulation in the adult population. During cirrhosis progression, circulation becomes hyperdynamic, with cardiac, pulmonary and renal consequences. Cirrhotic adults also present with cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, with systolic and diastolic dysfunction and electrophysiological abnormalities. This article provides an update on normal liver hemodynamics, a brief reminder of the liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic adults, and a description of liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic children. This review attempts to clarify whether liver and systemic hemodynamics are altered in cirrhotic children like they are in adults. The characterization of these hemodynamic disturbances could contribute to a better understanding of hepatic and systemic physiopathology in pediatric cirrhosis.
Core Tip: Portal hypertension and cirrhosis are associated with severe hemodynamic changes in hepatic and systemic circulation in adults. With the progression of cirrhosis, the circulation becomes hyperdynamic, with cardiac, pulmonary and renal consequences. Cirrhotic adults also present with cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. This article provides a brief review of liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic adults and a detailed description of liver and systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic children. The characterization of these hemodynamic disturbances could contribute to a better understanding of hepatic and systemic physiopathology in pediatric cirrhosis, elements that should be included in the management of cirrhotic children.
