Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic liver disease (CLD) often leads to complications, such as gastroesophageal varices, which pose significant mortality risks. While upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is the gold standard for variceal detection, it is invasive and costly. Non-invasive imaging methods, such as ultrasound and computed tomography (CT), offer alternative approaches for assessing portal vein diameter (PVD) and spleen size. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the correlation between PVD and the presence and severity of gastroesophageal varices in CLD patients using non-invasive imaging techniques. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 84 CLD patients at M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital over 6 months. Patients underwent clinical assessments, laboratory tests, ultrasonography, and upper GI endoscopy. PVD and spleen size were measured, and data were analyzed using Chi-squared tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The study revealed no significant correlation between PVD or spleen size and the severity of gastroesophageal varices (P value > 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated limited sensitivity (AUC: 0.555 for PVD; 0.581 for spleen size). CONCLUSION: PVD and spleen size are not reliable predictors for gastroesophageal varices in CLD patients. Further research is required to identify other non-invasive markers or improve existing technologies for effective variceal screening.