Because the vein narrowed or clogged, the pressure in the portal vein increases. Increased pressure (called portal hypertension) causes the enlarged spleen (splenomegaly). It also resulted in extension, twisted vein (varicose) in the esophagus (esophageal varices) and often in the stomach (portal hypertensive gastropathy). This could have severe bleeding. Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (called ascites) is not common but can be formed when a blockage in the portal vein accompanied with heart blockage or damage or when large amounts of fluid given intravenously to treat major bleeding or rupture of varicose veins in kerongkongaqn or abdomen. Portal vein thrombosis that formed in people with cirrhosis will cause their condition to deteriorate.

CAUSE
About 25% of adults with cirrhosis have portal vein, may come from a very slow blood flow. Portal vein is also caused by various conditions that make blood more likely to clot. Generally the situation is different according to age group:

1. Newborns: infection of the umbilical cord (the navel).
2. Older children: disease of the appendix.
3. Adults: excessive red blood cells (polycythemia), certain cancers (liver, pancreas, kidney, or adrenal glands), surgery, and pregnancy.

Often, several conditions work together to cause a blockage. The cause is unknown in about one third of people.

SYMPTOMS
Because the portal vein supplying three-quarters of the liver blood supply, then the partial blockage and total blockage of the veins can damage the liver cells; depends on the location, size and speed bekuannya clots.
The blockage will increase the pressure in the portal vein and other veins.

Be enlarged veins in the esophagus.
The initial symptoms of the disease is often in the form of bleeding from varicose veins in the lower esophagus (esophageal varices).
This bleeding causes coughing up blood or vomit blood.

The spleen usually enlarges, especially in children.

In about one third of patients, obstruction developed slowly, allowing the formation of other blood vessels (collateral vessels) around the blockage and eventually re-open the portal vein. However, portal hypertension persists.

Diagnosis
Doctors suspected portal vein thrombosis in people who have some combination of the following things below:

1. Bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices.
2. Enlarged spleen.
3. High-risk conditions (eg, children with umbilical infection or acute appendicitis).

Blood tests to evaluate liver memeperlihatkan often quite normal. If the patient has portal hypertension and microscopic examination of liver tissue showed normal results, then most likely cause is portal vein thrombosis.

Doppler ultrasound usually confirms the diagnosis. This indicates that the flow of blood through the portal vein is reduced or absent. In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) is required.

Angiography is performed if the procedure to create an alternate route for blood flow is planned. For angiography, X-ray of blood vessels made after a radiopaque dye (which is visible in X-rays) is injected into the portal vein.

TREATMENT
If a blood clot suddenly clog veins, drugs that break clots (such as tissue plasminogen activator) is sometimes used. The effectiveness of this treatment (called thrombolysis) is unclear.

If the interference is gradually formed, anticoagulant, such as heparin, long-term is sometimes used to help prevent clotting of recurrence or enlargement. Anticoagulants do not break the existing clot.

In newborns and children, the cause (usually an infected umbilical cord or acute colitis) were treated.

Problems caused by portal hypertension are also treated. Bleeding from varicose veins in the esophagus can be stopped using some of the following techniques: