Background: Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is a frequently overlooked complication of liver cirrhosis (LC).\nThe clinical implications of PHG as a prognostic factor of LC or a predictive factor for the development of\nhepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been established. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical\nsignificance of PHG in patients with LC.\nMethods: Patients with LC were prospectively enrolled and followed in a single tertiary hospital in the Republic of\nKorea. Baseline hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG) was measured, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was\nperformed. The associations of PHG with HVPG, survival and the development of HCC were evaluated.\nResults: A total of 587 patients were enrolled. The mortality rate was 20.3 % (n = 119), and HCC developed in 9.2 %\n(n = 54) during the follow-up period (32.6 Ã?± 27.8 months). The grade of PHG was well correlated with HVPG (no\nPGH: median 9.2 [IQR: 7.2ââ?¬â??16.7], mild PHG: 14.6 [10.1ââ?¬â??19.3], and severe PHG: 17.3 [12.3ââ?¬â??21.5], P < 0.001), as well as\nwith Child-Pugh class, MELD score or survival. However, it was not associated with the development of HCC. The\ngrade of PHG (HR 3.29, 95 % CI: 1.12ââ?¬â??9.63, severe vs. no PHG) and Child-Pugh class (HR 3.53, 95 % CI: 1.79ââ?¬â??6.97,\nChild C vs A) showed significant associations with mortality.\nConclusion: PHG was well correlated with portal hypertension and could be used as a prognostic factor for LC but\nnot for the prediction of HCC.
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