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Hepatic venous pressure gradient: the facts

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Portal Hypertension in the 21st Century

Abstract

Many of the clinical complications of cirrhosis are the direct consequences of the elevation of portal venous pressure (PVP). Portal hypertension is defined as a PVP of greater than the normal 5–10 mmHg. The degree of portal hypertension has been shown to correlate with the severity of liver disease, both functionally1 and histologically2, 3. However, direct portal venous measurement is invasive and cannot be routinely performed. As a surrogate, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) has been widely accepted as a measurement for PVP. The ease and safety of HVPG measurement has made it a valuable tool not only in the research arena, but also more and more in clinical practice.

Fact: An assertion, statement, or information containing or purporting to contain something having objective reality Webster’s Third New International Dictionary

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Vorobioff, J.D., Abraldes, J.G., Groszmann, R.J. (2004). Hepatic venous pressure gradient: the facts. In: Groszmann, R.J., Bosch, J. (eds) Portal Hypertension in the 21st Century. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1042-9_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1042-9_32

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