ASSOCIATION OF ULTRASOUND FINDINGS AND BIOCHEMICAL TESTS OF LIVER WITH OR WITHOUT ESOPHAGEAL VARICES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE
Keywords:
Esophageal varices, chronic liver disease, ultrasound imaging.Abstract
To compare liver function tests, complete blood count parameters, and liver morphology between patients with and without esophageal varices in chronic liver disease. This observational comparative study was conducted in the Outpatients Department of Patel Hospital, Karachi, using a non-probability consecutive sampling method over six months. The study included 100 patients, divided into two groups: 60 patients with EV and 40 patients without varices, aged 30 to 55, both male and female. Patients underwent clinical examinations, laboratory tests, and abdominal ultrasonography, followed by EGD screening to identify esophageal varices (EV), with grading based on size. An independent sample t-test, a Mann-Whitney U test, and a chi-square test were used to compare groups with and without EV, with significance set at p < 0.05. The study findings showed that the mean age was similar between the groups, with no significant gender differences. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was the most common cause of chronic liver disease in both groups. Patients with EV had significantly higher INR, lower albumin levels, and larger portal vein diameters compared to those without EV. The Child-Pugh score was higher in the EV group (7.33 ± 1.96), indicating more severe liver dysfunction. Liver ultrasonography revealed no significant difference in texture, but there was a significant difference in liver margin irregularities and size. Additionally, patients with EV had lower hemoglobin and platelet counts, longer prothrombin times, and higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels.
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