Research advances in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

Although liver cirrhosis is the most common cause of portal hypertension( PH),about 20% of PH cases are caused by non- cirrhotic reasons,which are referred to as non- cirrhotic portal hypertension( NCPH),with a high incidence rate in developing countries.NCPH is a group of heterogeneous hepatic vascular diseases,including idiopathic portal hypertension( IPH) and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction( EHPVO),as well as the rare diseases in clinical practice such as Budd- Chiari syndrome,congenital hepatic fibrosis,and nodular regenerative hyperplasia. The patients with NCPH usually have the symptoms of portal hypertension,such as recurrent variceal bleeding and splenomegaly,but liver function is well preserved in these patients. At present,the diagnosis of NCPH lacks a universally accepted standard and remains a challenge. In clinical practice,the method of exclusion is usually applied for the diagnosis of HCPH,and liver biopsy is performed when necessary to make a confirmed diagnosis. This paper introduces the pathogenesis and pathological manifestations of IPH and EHPVO,as well as the selection of diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies. If upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be effectively controlled,NCPH is considered to have a relatively good prognosis.