Interventional management ofbenign portal vein thrombosis

Abstract

In brief, newer percutaneous techniques are beginning to play an increasingly relevant role in the management of patients with PVT, although the literature supporting these approaches remains limited to small series and case reports. A wide range of procedures are currently used, including balloon angioplasty, stent placement, thrombolytic therapy, TIPS, and MT. Thrombolytic therapy and stent placement, however, remains an integral part of the treatment of those patients with PVT. Major strides, however, have been made during the last decade in refining the performance of MT techniques. The advantages of MT, when compared with pharmacologic thrombolysis techniques, lay in the potential for less invasive, rapid debunking of thrombus, and restoration of flow in the portal venous system. When MT is used in combination with thrombolytic therapy, it can allow a reduction in the dose and/or duration of the thrombolytic infusion, potentially lowering the rate of hemorrhagic complications. MT can also restore flow faster than with thrombolytic therapy alone that could be highly relevant in patients with impending bowel necrosis, or massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage, where time is of essenceKeywords: Benign portal vein thrombosis. Interventional radiology. Acute portal vein thrombosis. Chronic portal vein thrombosis. Portal vein recanalization techniques. Portal vein thrombus pathology. Liver anatomy. Portal vein angioplasty. Portal vein stent Portal vein mechanical thrombectomy. TIPS