Risk factors for portal hypertensive gastropathy

BACKGROUND: Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is often underestimated in clinical diagnosis. Gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhosis of PHG accounts for approximately 10% of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the relationship between PHG and gender, laboratory parameters, liver function and varices is still controversial. In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of PHG and to explore the relationship between PHG and gender, laboratory parameters, liver function and varicose veins. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 325 patients with cirrhosis who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020 was performed. The relationships among age, gender, laboratory parameters, Child–Pugh stage, oesophageal varices (EV), gastric varices (GV) and ascites with PHG were analysed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The occurrence of PHG was significantly associated with gender, haemoglobin, platelet count, prothrombin time, albumin, Child–Pugh stage, EV, GV and ascites (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the severity of PHG and the degree of EV, GV and ascites (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that albumin, EV and GV levels were independently associated with the occurrence of PHG. CONCLUSION: The incidence of PHG in cirrhosis was 87.4% in this study. The occurrence of PHG was related to gender, haemoglobin, platelet count, prothrombin time, albumin, Child–Pugh stage, EV, GV and ascites. Albumin, the degree of EV and GV are independent risk factors for the occurrence of PHG.