This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the accuracy of using routine abdominal ultrasound to predict the risk of esophageal variceal bleeding in adult patients with liver cirrhosis. Esophageal variceal bleeding is a serious complication of chronic liver disease. While upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is the current standard for diagnosing and grading these varices, it is an invasive procedure.
In this study, researchers will use ultrasound to measure the patient's spleen size and portal vein diameter. These non-invasive measurements will then be compared to the results of a standard upper endoscopy performed within 48 to 72 hours. The goal is to determine if these simple ultrasound measurements can reliably predict the presence, grade, and bleeding risk of esophageal varices, which could potentially reduce the need for routine invasive endoscopic screenings in the future.
Adult patients (age ≥18 years) with chronic liver disease and clinical/laboratory/radiological evidence of liver cirrhosis
Both compensated and decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C)
Patients scheduled for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
Patients who provide informed consent
Previous history of endoscopic variceal band ligation or sclerotherapy
Prior surgical portosystemic shunt procedures or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)
Hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis
Previous splenectomy