An update on management of Budd-Chiari syndrome

Abstract

The topic of this paper is to report an update on management of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). Actually, the flow-chart of BCS management comes from experts opinion and is not evidence-based due to the rarity of BCS. Management of BCS follows a step-wise strategy. Anticoagulation and medical therapy should be the first line treatment. Revascularization or TIPS in case of no response to medical therapy. OLT as a rescue therapy. Surgery has limited but important space, especially in cases with high inferior vena cava obstruction not suitable for endovascular treatment. However, no clear indication can actually be given about the timing of different treatments. Moreover, there is some concern about treatment of some subgroup of patients, especially regarding the risk of recurrence after liver transplantation. This paper propose a new algorithm of BCS management suggesting an earlier therapeutic approach when clinical signs are evident.

Keywords

• Ascites
• TIPS
• Liver transplantation
• Surgery
• Outcome