Portal hypertension Circulatory System Portal hypertension
Conditions
Interventions
Patients with liver cirrhosis who were about to commence non-selective beta-blocker (NSBB) therapy as part of clinical management of portal hypertension (PHT) are enrolled into the study.
Upon enrolm
this was defined as a clinical haemodynamic response to NSBB (HR responders). Following the study, participants continue taking NSBB and are managed by their existing NHS consultant.
Sponsors
University of Edinburgh/ACCORD
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Male or female patients aged 18-80 with liver cirrhosis 2. Portal hypertension in whom commencement of beta-blockers is clinically indicated
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Contraindication to Beta-Blocker therapy (such as moderate to severe asthma) 2. Contraindication to MRI scan 3. Contraindication to administration of gadolinium-based MRI contrast (including eGFR <30mL/min) 4. Concomitant use of other vasoactive drugs (e.g. nitrates, phosphodiesterase inhibitors) 5. Previous TIPSS insertion 6. Portal vein thrombosis 7. Hepatocellular carcinoma 8. Pregnancy or breastfeeding 9. Inability to obtain informed consent (e.g. refusal/overt hepatic encephalopathy)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Volumetric blood flow [L/min] in selected blood vessels (proper hepatic artery, portal vein, superior mesenteric artery, superior aorta, inferior aorta, renal arteries and azygous vein) measured by phase-contrast MR angiography at baseline and 4 weeks. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Correlation between MRI blood flow measurements and liver disease severity (using MELD and Child-Pugh scores) assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks. | — |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed