Non-Invasive Predictors of Gastro-Oesophageal Varices

Introduction: The worldwide accepted tool for screening and monitoring gastro-oesophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis is upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopy needs clinical expertise and has got its own procedure related complications. Repeated endoscopies may be expensive and patients tend to develop poor compliance. This study was undertaken to establish the role of noninvasive parameters in predicting gastro-esophageal varices. Methods: Two hundred patients with clinical features, laboratory and sonological findings suggestive of cirrhosis of liver and endoscopic evidence of portal hypertension were included in the study. Blood parameters like serum albumin, international normalized ratio (INR), platelets count and ultrasonography assessments of portal vein diameter and spleen size were compared with presence of gastro-oesophageal varices. Results: At cutoff point of 2.55g/dl, serum albumin had high specificity of 99% whereas platelets count