We describe the usefulness of n-butyl-cyanoacrylate (nBCA)-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration (NARTO) for gastric varices in 3 consecutive patients. In all patients, balloon catheters were inserted into the gastrorenal shunt via the left renal vein. After injecting sclerosant into the gastric varix under balloon occlusion, nBCA was injected to the proximal side of the shunt, to completely embolize the shunt. NARTO is a simple technique to achieve stagnation of the injected sclerosant in gastric varices and to occlude a gastrorenal shunt. This procedure is also cost-effective, and may improve procedure time compared with original or modified balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration.

The standard treatment for ruptured duodenal varices remains to be established. Emergency balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration is challenging in patients with bleeding because re-rupture of varices can occur due to increased pressure when using the retrograde approach. Herein, we describe a case in which a catheter was retrogradely advanced to the afferent vein beyond bleeding duodenal varices; however, the varices re-ruptured during coil embolization, and a part of the catheter was deviated into the intestinal tract. The rupture site was embolized by liquid embolic materials from the microcatheter. Embolization via retrograde approach needs to be carefully performed.

We present a case of gastric varices successfully treated with modified plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration. A 45-year-old male patient had isolated fundal gastric varices caused by alcoholic cirrhosis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed that the gastric varices were drained mainly via the gastro-renal shunt. The gastric varices were treated via plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration using an IMPEDE vascular plug with a modified coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration-II procedure. There were no complications during the procedure, and an endoscopic examination 3 months after the procedure revealed that the gastric varices had disappeared. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration-II using a newly designed IMPEDE vascular plug to avoid migration of the sclerosant.

BACKGROUND: Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) was developed as an effective treatment for gastric varices in patients with cirrhosis. Because liver fibrosis in these patients is assumed to be advanced, their prognosis is expected to be poor. In this study, we investigated the prognosis and characteristics of the patients.
METHODS: We enrolled 55 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis treated with BRTO between 2009 and 2021 at our department. To evaluate factors related to variceal recurrence and long-term prognosis, survival analysis was performed on 45 patients, excluding those who died within 1 month, had an unknown prognosis, or whose treatments were converted to other treatments.
RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 2.3 years, esophageal varices recurred in 10 patients and could be treated endoscopically. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was related to the variceal recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.17-15.5, p = 0.028). The survival rate after the procedure at 1, 3, and 5 years was 94.2%, 74.0%, and 63.5%, respectively, and 10 patients died of hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 6), liver failure (n = 1), sepsis (n = 1), and unknown reasons (n = 2). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) level was proved to be a significant poor prognostic factor (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99, p = 0.023). The comorbid hypertension (HTN) was the main cause of low eGFR, and HTN was also significantly related to survival (HR = 6.18, 95% CI: 1.57-24.3, p = 0.009). Most of the patients with HTN were treated with calcium channel blocker and/or angiotensin receptor blocker.
CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of patients with cirrhosis treated with BRTO was dependent on the metabolic factors including renal function, comorbid HTN, and NASH.

UNASSIGNED: Parastomal variceal bleeding (PVB) is a recognized complication of ostomized patients in the presence of portal hypertension. However, since there are few reported cases, a therapeutic algorithm has not yet been established.
UNASSIGNED: A 63-year-old man, who had undergone a definitive colostomy, recurrently presented to the emergency department hemorrhage of bright red blood from his colostomy bag, initially assumed to be caused by stoma trauma. Accordingly, temporary success on local approaches such as direct compression, silver nitrate application and suture ligation was achieved. However, bleeding recurred, requiring transfusion of red blood cell concentrate and hospitalization. The patient\'s evaluation showed chronic liver disease with massive collateral circulation, particularly at the colostomy site. After a PVB with associated hypovolemic shock, the patient was submitted to a balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) procedure which stopped the bleeding successfully. The patient was subsequently proposed for a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) conjugated with percutaneous transhepatic obliteration (PTO). After an initial refusal by the patient, a new episode of self-limited PVB resulted in execution of the procedure. Four months later, in a routine consultation, the patient presented with grade II hepatic encephalopathy, successfully treated with medical therapy. After a 9-month follow-up, he remained clinically well and without further episodes of PVB or other adverse effects.
UNASSIGNED: This report highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion when dealing with significant stomal hemorrhage. Portal hypertension as an etiology of this entity may compel to a specific approach to prevent recurrence of bleeding, including conjugation of endovascular procedures. The authors pre-sent a case of PVB, initially submitted to a variety of treatment options including BRTO, which was successfully addressed with conjugated treatment of TIPS and PTO.
UNASSIGNED: A hemorragia de varizes periestomais é uma complicação conhecida de doentes ostomizados com hipertensão portal. Contudo, devido ao pequeno número de casos descritos, ainda não foi estabelecido um algoritmo terapêutico.
UNASSIGNED: Homem, 63 anos, com antecedentes de colostomia definitiva, recorre ao Serviço de Urgência recorrentemente por sangue vivo no saco de colostomia. Inicialmente, presumindo-se trauma do estoma, foi submetido a tratamentos locais, como compressão, aplicação de nitrato de prata e sutura, com sucesso temporário. Contudo, houve recorrência da hemorragia, com necessidade de suporte transfusional e hospitalização. A avaliação do doente evidenciou doença hepática crónica com circulação colateral exuberante, predominantemente junto da colostomia. Devido a hemorragia com choque hipovolémico, foi submetido a obliteração transvenosa retrógrada ocluída por balão (BRTO). Posteriormente, foi proposto para shunt portossistémico transjugular intra-hepático (TIPS) conjugado com obliteração transhepática percutânea (PTO). Após recusa inicial do doente, ocorreu novo episódio de hemorragia autolimitado, tendo o doente concordado em realizar o procedimento. Quatro meses depois, em consulta, apresentava sinais de encefalopatia hepática grau II, tendo sido controlada eficazmente com tratamento médico. Após nove meses de seguimento, mantém-se sem novos episódios de hemorragia ou efeitos adversos dos procedimentos.
UNASSIGNED: É necessário um alto índice de suspeição clínica ao abordar a hemorragia significativa do estoma. A hipertensão portal como etiologia exige uma abordagem específica para prevenir a recorrência da hemorragia, incluindo a conjugação de procedimentos endovasculares. Os autores apresentam o caso de um doente com hemorragia de varizes periestomais submetido inicialmente a vários tratamentos, incluindo BRTO e que foi tratado com sucesso com TIPS e PTO.

BACKGROUND: Hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy are common in patients with portosystemic shunts. Surgical shunt occlusion has been standard treatment, although recently the less invasive balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) has gained increasing attention. Thus far, there have been no reports on the treatment of portosystemic shunts with B-RTO in patients aged over 90 years. In this study, we present a case of hepatic encephalopathy caused by shunting of the left common iliac and inferior mesenteric veins, successfully treated with B-RTO.
METHODS: A 97-year-old woman with no history of liver disease was admitted to our hospital because of disturbance of consciousness. She had no jaundice, spider angioma, palmar erythema, hepatosplenomegaly, or asterixis. Her blood tests showed hyperammonemia, and abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a portosystemic shunt running between the left common iliac vein and the inferior mesenteric vein. She was diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy secondary to a portosystemic shunt. The patient did not improve with conservative treatment: Lactulose, rifaximin, and a low-protein diet. B-RTO was performed, which resulted in shunt closure and improvement in hyperammonemia and disturbance of consciousness. Moreover, there was no abdominal pain or elevated levels of liver enzymes due to complications. The patient was discharged without further consciousness disturbance.
CONCLUSIONS: Portosystemic shunt-borne hepatic encephalopathy must be considered in the differential diagnosis for consciousness disturbance, including abnormal behavior and speech.

We previously reported liver stiffness (LS) as a prognostic predictor of portosystemic shunt (PSS) occlusion. This study aims to reinvestigate the predictive factors of the model for end-stage liver disease-sodium (MELD-Na) score amelioration following balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) and to evaluate the postoperative prognoses of patients with portal hypertension by using newly identified factors.
Seventy-five patients who underwent BRTO between 2008 and 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. The MELD-Na scores were calculated preoperatively and one month postoperatively. We monitored long-term outcomes and analyzed postoperative survival.
At one month postoperatively, the MELD-Na score decreased in 46 (61.3%) patients. Univariate analyses revealed a significant association of the score amelioration with nine factors, including lower LS levels and a higher international normalized ratio (INR). A multivariate logistic regression analysis with receiver operating characteristic curve analyses identified preoperative LS levels and INR as significant independent predictors of the postoperative MELD-Na score amelioration, with optimal cutoffs of 28.1 kPa and 1.06, respectively. The combination of LS < 28.1 kPa and INR ≥ 1.06 showed a sensitivity and specificity of 84.8% and 75.9% for the prediction of the score amelioration, respectively. For the propensity score model, we matched 24 patients with similar age, sex, MELD-Na score, and concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined significantly higher cumulative survival rates in patients with LS < 28.1 kPa and INR ≥ 1.06 than in other populations.
A combination of LS and INR can predict the MELD-Na score amelioration and prognosis improvement following PSS occlusion.

UNASSIGNED: Gastric varices (GV) with spontaneous portosystemic shunt (SPSS) are associated with ectopic embolism in endoscopic cyanoacrylate. This study targeted to assess the efficacy and safety of EUS-guided coil embolization combined with endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection versus balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for GV with high-risk ectopic embolism.
UNASSIGNED: We retrospectively analyzed six tertiary hospitals\' 104 patients with GV at high-risk ectopic embolism (the narrowest diameter of SPSS was greater than or equal to 5 mm and the maximum diameter usually >8 mm) who underwent EUS-guided coil embolization combined with endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection or BRTO from January 2014 to December 2020. The outcomes included rebleeding, survival, and complications.
UNASSIGNED: The EUS group and BRTO group contained 59 and 45 patients, respectively. The technical success rate between the two groups was similar (96.6% vs. 95.6%, P = 1.000). During the follow-up, both groups\' 5-day rebleeding rate and 6-week mortality rate were 0%. One-year all-cause rebleeding rate (20.0% vs. 18.9%, P = 0.900) and 1-year mortality rate (2.0% vs. 0%, P = 1.000) in the EUS group were similar to the BRTO group. One patient experienced ectopic embolism in the EUS group, while the BRTO group did not. Both groups had similar mean days (16.0 [interquartile range (IQR), 12.0-19.0] vs. 16.5 [IQR, 11.8-26.0], P = 0.165) and cost of hospitalization (¥ 45950.6 [IQR, 39330.2-55768.2] vs. ¥ 51205.8 [IQR, 31628.8-74251.5], P = 0.680). Multivariate analysis showed that the narrowest diameter of the shunt (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.062-3.258; P = 0.03) and content of hemoglobin (OR = 0.941; 95% CI: 0.892-0.992; P = 0.025) were the prognostic factors for survival.
UNASSIGNED: The efficacy and safety of EUS-guided coil embolization combined with endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection for GV with high-risk ectopic embolism are comparable to BRTO.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing hemodynamic changes before and after balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of 4D flow MRI for assessing hemodynamic changes in the portal venous system before and after BRTO.
METHODS: We included 10 patients (7 men, 3 women; mean age = 67 years) with liver cirrhosis who had a high risk of gastric variceal bleeding or hepatic encephalopathy. Non-contrast 4D flow MRI of the upper abdomen was performed before and after BRTO. In addition, we compared the blood flow rates in the portal vein (PV), superior mesenteric vein (SMV), splenic vein (SV), left renal vein, and inferior vena cava before and after BRTO. Moreover, the flow directions of the SMV and SV before and after BRTO were assessed using both portography and 4D flow MRI.
RESULTS: There was a significant post-BRTO increase in the blood flow rate in the PV and SV (P < 0.05). There was no significant post-BRTO change in the blood flow rates in the SMV, inferior vena cava, and left renal vein. In four patients, portography confirmed that hepatofugal flow in the SV and SMV changed to hepatopetal flow after BRTO. Moreover, 4D flow MRI correctly assessed the flow directions in the SMV and SV in 70%-100% of the patients.
CONCLUSIONS: 4D flow MRI can be used to detect hemodynamic changes in the portal venous system before and after BRTO.

BACKGROUND: Congenital portosystemic shunt is an infrequent abnormal connection between the portal vascular system and the systemic circulation. Portosystemic shunts are common findings in patients with cirrhosis, causing gastroesophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and others. However, there is no consensus or literature describing how to manage asymptomatic patients with portosystemic shunts and normal liver.
METHODS: The patient was a 39-year-old female who underwent donor right hepatectomy for living donor liver transplantation. The patient was healthy by nature, however, developed hepatic encephalopathy after the surgery due to a development of portosystemic shunt. Portosystemic shunt stole portal blood flow, and imaging modalities revealed narrowing of the portal trunk, representing prolonged depletion of portal blood flow. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) was performed for occlusion of the portosystemic shunt. B-RTO increased portal blood flow, and hepatic encephalopathy with hyperammonemia was successfully resolved without the outbreak of any other symptom of portal hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS: A congenital portosystemic shunt itself is not a contraindication for donor hepatectomy, but perioperative endovascular shunts occlusion or intraoperative ligature of these shunts should be considered.