Abstract
Background/Aims
The endoscopic findings and clinical relevance of portal hypertensive colopathy are not well described in Korea. We aimed to do a retrospective study of mucosal changes in the colon of patients with liver cirrhosis and to find their association with clinical characteristics.
Methods
We reviewed the clinical data and endoscopic findings of 48 patients with liver cirrhosis and 48 patients, matched for age and sex, with irritable bowel disease (IBS) who underwent colonoscopy over a 5 year span.
Results
Patients with liver cirrhosis were more likely to have colitis-like lesions and vascular abnormalities than IBS patients. Low platelet count (p=0.005) and severe esophageal varices (p=0.011) were associated with portal hypertensive colopathy, whereas the etiologies and severity of cirrhosis were not associated with these findings.
Go to : 

References
1. McCormack TT, Sims J, Eyre-Brook I, et al. Gastric lesions in portal hypertension: inflammatory gastritis or congestive gastro-pathy? Gut. 1985; 26:1226–1232.


2. Misra SP, Dwivedi M, Misra V, Gupta M. Ileal varices and portal hypertensive ileopathy in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Gastrointest Endosc. 2004; 60:778–783.


3. Tam TN, NG WW, Lee SD. Colonic mucosal changes in patients with liver cirrhosis. Gastrointest Endosc. 1995; 42:408–412.


4. Sarfeh IJ, Tarnawski A. Gastric mucosal vasculopathy in portal hypertension. Gastroenterology. 1987; 93:1129–1131.


5. Kozarek RA, Botoman VA, Bredfeldt JE, Roach JM, Patterson DJ, Ball TJ. Portal colopathy: prospective study of colonoscopy in patients with portal hypertension. Gastroenterology. 1991; 101:1192–1197.


6. Naveau S, Bedossa P, Poynard T, Mory B, Chaput JC. Portal hypertensive colopathy. A new entity. Dig Dis Sci. 1991; 36:1774–1781.
7. Ito K, Shiraki K, Sakai T, Yoshimura H, Nakano T. Portal hypertensive colopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis. World J Gastroenterol. 2005; 11:3127–3130.


8. Bini EJ, Lascarides CE, Micale PL, Weinshel EH. Mucosal abnormalities of the colon in patients with portal hypertension: an endoscopic study. Gastrointest Endosc. 2000; 52:511–516.


9. Misra V, Misra SP, Dwivedi M, Singh PA, Kumar V. Colonic mucosa in patients with portal hypertension. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2003; 18:302–308.


10. Misra SP, Dwivedi M, Misra V. Prevalence and factors influencing hemorrhoids, anorectal varices, and colopathy in patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopy. 1996; 28:340–345.


11. Misra SP, Misra V, Dwivedi M. Effect of esophageal variceal sclerotherapy on hemorrhoids, anorectal varices and portal colopathy. Endoscopy. 1999; 31:741–744.


12. Bresci G, Parisi G, Capria A. Clinical relevance of colonic lesions in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopy. 2006; 38:830–835.


13. Scandalis N, Archimandritis A, Kastanas K, Spiliadis C, Delis B, Manika Z. Colonic findings in cirrhotics with portal hypertension. A prospective colonoscopic and histological study. J Clin Gastroenterol. 1994; 18:325–328.
14. Barnert J, Messmann H. Diagnosis and management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009; 6:637–646.


15. Ko JS, Kim JS, Noh CH, et al. A case of lower GI bleeding from portal hypertensive colopathy successfully treated with octreotide administration and endoscopic hemoclipping. Korean J Gastrointest Endosc. 2004; 28:97–101.
16. Leone N, Debernardi-Venon W, Marzano A, et al. Portal hypertensive colopathy and hemorrhoids in cirrhotic patients. J Hepatol. 2000; 33:1026–1027.
17. Balzer C, Lotterer E, Kleber G, Fleig WE. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for bleeding angiodysplasia-like lesions in portal-hypertensive colopathy. Gastroenterology. 1998; 115:167–172.


18. Wang TF, Lee FY, Tsai YT, et al. Relationship of portal pressure, anorectal varices and hemorrhoids in cirrhotic patients. J Hepatol. 1992; 15:170–173.


19. Sugano S, Nishio M, Makino H, Suzuki T. Relationship of portal pressure and colorectal vasculopathy in patients with cirrhosis. Dig Dis Sci. 1999; 44:149–154.
20. Bresci G, Gambardella L, Parisi G, et al. Colonic disease in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension: an endoscopic and clinical evaluation. J Clin Gastroenterol. 1998; 26:222–227.
21. Rabinovitz M, Schade RR, Dindzans VJ, Belle SH, Van Thiel DH, Gavaler JS. Colonic disease in cirrhosis. An endoscopic evaluation in 412 patients. Gastroenterology. 1990; 99:195–199.
Go to : 

![]() | Fig. 1.Endoscopic images illustrating portal hypertensive colopathy. (A) Colitis-like diffuse erythema with edema. (B) Mixed form of angiodysplasia-like lesion with multiple small patchy erythema. (C) Angiodysplasia-like vascular lesion. |
Table 1.
Characteristics of the Enrolled Patients
Table 2.
Clinical Characteristics of 48 Patients with Liver Cirrhosis
Table 3.
Colonic Abnormalities in Cirrhotic Patients and Control Patients
Table 4.
Comparison of Cirrhotic Patients with and without Portal Hypertensive Colopathy