Researchers presented a case of a 97-year-old woman who had hepatic encephalopathy caused by a portosystemic shunt between the left common iliac and inferior mesenteric veins. The patient had hyperammonemia and disturbance of consciousness but did not respond to standard treatments. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) was performed as a less invasive option, resulting in successful closure of the shunt and improvement in hyperammonemia and consciousness. The study highlights the importance of considering portosystemic shunt-related hepatic encephalopathy in cases of consciousness disturbance.
Reference: Nishi A, Kenzaka T, Sogi M, Nakaminato S, et al. Treatment of portosystemic shunt-borne hepatic encephalopathy in a 97-year-old woman using balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration: A case report. World J Clin Cases. 2023 Feb 6;11(4):945-951. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i4.945. PMID: 36818635; PMCID: PMC9928706.
