DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjm.2025.v11i06.002

Pages: 605-611

Introduction: Portal hypertension (PH) is an inevitable consequence of cirrhosis. The Gold standard method for assessing PH are hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement and upper GI endoscopy. However, these methods are invasive, expensive and not widely available. Hepatic ultrasound elastography is a non-invasive alternative for assessing hepatic stiffness. The aim of the present study is to assess the correlation between elasticity values and the presence and severity of PH. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive and analytical study carried out between 2020 and 2024, in the Gastroenterology department EFD-HGE of the CHU-IBN SINA in Rabat, including patients with chronic liver disease who had undergone liver stifness measurement (LSM) by FibroScan®, concluding to a severe fibrosis (F3-F4). All patients were evaluated clinically, biologically, radiologically and endoscopically for markers of PH. Results: 72 patients were included. The mean age was 55.6 years, with no gender predominance (sex ratio=1.05). The main etiology was chronic viral hepatitis C (33% of cases). Mean hepatic elasticity was 29.9kPa. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EGD revealed esophageal varices (EVs) in 80.5% of cases. Mean elasticity was higher in the “presence of VO” group than in the “absence of VO” group, with a clinically significant difference. Similarly, mean elasticity was higher in the “EV grade ≥ II” group than in the “EV grade <II” group, with a clinically significant difference. The ROC curve was studied for the diagnosis of large EV (grade ≥ II). The area under the curve was 0.819. A threshold value of 20.5kPa was proposed for the diagnosis of large EVs, with a sensitivity of 82.6% and a specificity of 80.7%. Conclusion: These results indicate that FibroScan® is a reliable, non-invasive method that can be used to screen for and diagnose clinically significant PH.