Successful Treatment of Hepatoportal Arteriovenous Fistula by Transcatheter Embolization with Steel Coils

Portal hypertension is most commonly caused by increased intrahepatic resistance as a result of cirrhosis, but can also occur as a result of abnormally high portal bloodflow. This article describes a patient with a history of remote liver trauma in whom portal hypertension and variceal bleeding were shown to be due to an arteriovenous fistula between the hepatic artery and portal vein. Transcatheter embolization with Gianturco coils resulted in obliteration of the fistula and normalization of portal pressures