Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the causes which cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and carcinoma if left untreated. Patients who present with acute HCV infection, 50-70% of them develop chronic infection. This study attempted to see an association between F4 fibrosis in liver on fibroscan and esophageal varices on endoscopy in HCV related chronic liver disease (CLD) patients.
Method: This study was conducted in Gastroenterology and Hepatology division of holy family hospital, Rawalpindi. Total 117 patients of 10 to 90 years were included. All patients were having HCV related CLD. Patients having F4 fibrosis stage were included while patients having fibrosis stage up to F3 fibrosis stage were excluded. All data regarding age, gender, F4 fibrosis and esophageal varices was entered and analyzed using the statistical package of social sciences while descriptive analysis was performed.
Results: Amongst 114 patients who presented with F4 fibrosis stage on fibroscan 69.3% (79) of them were diagnosed for esophageal varices on endoscopy and 30.7% (35) were not having esophageal varices on endoscopy. Patients who were having esophageal varices on endoscopy 84.5% (49) of them were males and 55.9% (33) were females. Study participants having F4 fibrosis stage, 98.3% of them were males and 96.6% were females. So, there was not much difference between males and females having an extreme degree of fibrosis on fibroscan.
Conclusion: Patients who were having F4 fibrosis stage on fibroscan, 2/3 of them were having esophageal varices on endoscopy. Esophageal varices were more present in males as compared to females.
Key words: Hepatitis C Virus, chronic liver disease, esophageal varices
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