Advances in diagnosis and treatment of portal hypertensive biliopathy

With the progress in research on portal hypertension in recent years, portal hypertensive biliopathy (PHB) has attracted more and more attention. The pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of PHB, as well as the main methods for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, are briefly described. The pathogenesis of PHB remains unclear, and it has been postulated that the external pressure of portal cavernoma and the ischemic stricture of the bile duct may play a role. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography is the primary diagnostic tool for PHB. Currently, it is thought that asymptomatic PHB patients do not require any treatment, and symptomatic PHB patients should receive individualized treatment, which mainly included reducing portal pressure and relieving biliary obstruction. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt has become the first-line therapy for symptomatic PHB. More research and practice are needed for further understanding of PHB