SHAPE of Portal Hypertension in Children

Early diagnosis of portal hypertension is difficult as symptoms rarely manifest until the later stages of liver disease. Both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension can result in life-threatening complications, the most frequent of which is bleeding from esophageal varices. In children, variceal bleeds are associated with mortality rates of 1-3 %, while life-threatening complications have been reported in up to 20 % of children with cirrhosis. Despite the high incidence of portal hypertension in children with liver disease, a noninvasive modality to monitor disease progression and risk of complications is currently lacking. Hence, this trial will investigate the safety and efficacy of subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) as a noninvasive ultrasound technique for diagnosing portal hypertension in children.