Noninvasive Methods For Prediction of Esophageal Varices in Children

Portal hypertension is the underlying pathophysiological process that leads to the formation of portosystemic collaterals and heralds the onset of a severe complication: variceal hemorrhage. It is estimated that approximately 50% of pediatric patients with chronic liver disease and 90% of those with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO) will experience gastrointestinal bleeding.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is considered the primary modality for detection and surveillance of esophageal varices (EV) and to determine the risk of bleeding. Varices were graded into four grades I, II, III, and IV according to the Modified Paquet classification. however, invasiveness of the technique and a significant risk associated with sedation on long-term neurological outcomes have limited its use.

Many studies have sought to determine clinical, laboratory, or other noninvasive methods that could predict the presence of EV. Preliminary data suggests that laboratory tests such as platelet count, albumin and ultrasonographic parameters such as presence of splenomegaly, spleen size z score and platelet count to spleen size ratio and the clinical prediction rule (CPR; calculated from platelet count, spleen size z-score, and albumin concentration) may be useful as first-line tools for identification of adults and pediatric patients at risk of variceal development and thus reduce the number of unnecessary EGDs.