Portal Hypertension as a Complication of Cystic Echinococcosis: A 20-Year Cohort Analysis

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic disease caused by the larval forms of species of the tapeworm Echinococcus. The most common location is the liver. To assess the frequency and clinical characteristics of portal hypertension (PH) and the risk factors for PH development, we performed a retrospective observational study of inpatients diagnosed with hepatic CE and PH from January 1998 to December 2018, at Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, Spain. Of 362 patients analyzed with hepatic CE, 15 inpatients (4.1%) had a portal vein diameter >= 14 mm, and the mean diameter of the portal vein was 16.9 (standard deviation [SD] +/- 2.1) mm. Twelve patients were men. The mean age was 59.5 years (SD +/- 17.8 years). Four patients had ascites (26.6%), four had collateral circulation (26.6%), 14 had hepatosplenomegaly (93.3%), five had esophageal varices (33.3%), four had hematemesis, and three had jaundice. Other causes of PH included hepatitis B virus (1 patient) and hepatitis C virus (1 patient) infections and alcohol abuse (1 patient). The host variables associated with PH development were male sex (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-20.9; P = 0.030) and larger cyst size (10.8 +/- 6.3 versus 7.6 +/- 4.1; P = 0.004). Hepatic CE is an infrequent cause of PH that usually occurs without indications of liver failure. Larger cyst size and male sex were the main risk factors associated with this complication. Mortality was higher for patients with hepatic CE with PH than for patients with hepatic CE without PH.

Automated summary

Hepatic cystic echinococcosis is a rare cause of portal hypertension, with male gender and larger cyst size being main risk factors for its development. Patients with hepatic CE and portal hypertension have a higher mortality rate compared to those without portal hypertension.