J H Kao

Dr J H Kao, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; kaojh@mtu.edu.tw

STUDY QUESTION

In patients with compensated cirrhosis, how accurate are various non-invasive duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DD-US) indices for predicting the presence of oesophageal varices?

STUDY DESIGN

Design:

2 cohort studies: 1 for derivation (n = 240) and 1 for validation (n = 143).

Setting:

gastroenterology clinics of 2 hospitals in Taipei, Taiwan.

Patients:

383 patients (mean age 59 y, 61% men) with newly diagnosed cirrhosis. Patients who had decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular cancer, or who declined screening endoscopy were excluded.

Description of prediction guide:

DD-US indices included the Splenic Index (SI), portal vein velocity (PVV), hepatic impedance indices, and splenic …