Relationship between size of varices and platelet count/spleen size ratio in cirrhotic patients

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the relationship between size of gastroesophageal varices and platelet count/spleen diameter ratio in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: The present study included 186 cirrhotic patients in whom gastroesophageal varices were seen during upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy. Clinical features, laboratory parameters, upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy, and abdominal ultrasonographic findings of patients were evaluated retrospectively. Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio (P/S) was calculated by dividing number of platelets in complete blood count (CBC) to largest diameter of spleen. Varices were classified as small, medium, or large, and patients were separated into two groups for comparison: those with small varices and those with medium or large varices. Of the total, 66.7 % of the patients were men (n=124) and 33.3% were women (n=62). Esophageal varices were found in 82.7% and gastric varices were found in 17.3%. RESULTS: Patients with large esophageal varices were found to have significantly lower P/S compared to patients with small esophageal varices (p=0.04). In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, P/S and large varices correlated with 82% sensitivity and 79% positive predictive value. However, no statistically significant correlation between size of varices and P/S was found in patients with gastric varices (p=0.78). CONCLUSION: In patients with esophageal varices, P/S was found to be correlated with large varices with 82% sensitivity. However, this ratio did not predict large varices in patients with gastric varices. Prospective and randomized clinical researches are needed to clarify our findings.