A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study on Non-Invasive Predictors of esophageal Varices in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease.

Abstract

Chronic liver disease (CLD) globally affects millions of individuals; the esophageal varices are a major complication of CLD due to portal hypertension. This study evaluates clinical, biochemical, and radiological parameters as non-invasive predictors of esophageal varices in patients with CLD. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre from October 2022 to March 2024, enrolled newly diagnosed CLD patients aged 18–80 years who had not underwent prior treatment for portal hypertension or varices. Thereafter, data on demographics, medical history, laboratory parameters, clinical and imaging findings were collected. The presence and severity of oesophageal varices were assessed using endoscopy and correlated with non-invasive predictors. Among 88 participants, 84.1% had oesophageal varices, predominantly Grade 1 (58.0%). Significant predictors of varices included low platelet count (<100,000/μL), increased spleen size (>12 cm), and platelet-to-spleen ratio (<909) showed correlation with variceal presence. Non-invasive markers, such as serum biomarkers, demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity plays a pivotal role in identifying the early detection of patients at risk of varices. This investigation aids to reduce the reliance on routine endoscopy, improving patient care and resource allocation.