Significant cohort of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with portal vein thrombosis in transplant waiting list.

AIM: To characterize non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presentation with esophageal varices.

METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort study on 258 patients with esophageal varices at a single tertiary referral center. These patients underwent diagnosis of several liver diseases, including: NAFLD-associated cirrhosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Wilson disease, autoimune liver diseases, and others.

RESULTS: Of the 258 patients, 39% of patients exhibited esophageal varices due to NAFLD-associated cirrhosis. Of the 38 (14.7%) patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma during follow-up, 52% were due to hepatitis B, 26% due to hepatitis C and 13.2% due to NAFLD. Of the 258 patients, 50.0% with NAFLD, 33.3% with hepatitis B, 26.3% with hepatitis C, and 58.3% with other diseases were alive at the end of the 5-year period with a significant difference according to the Kaplan-Meier log Rank test (P = 0.040). Portal vein thrombosis was detected in 47.5% of patients with NAFLD, in 29% of patients with hepatitis B, in 17% of patients with hepatitis C, and in 62% of patients with other related diseases (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Our study showed a proportionally greater elevation in liver transplant candidacy in patients with NAFLD and portal vein thrombosis. Older patients were more prone to developing cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and a high mortality rate. However, younger patients exhibited more portal vein thrombosis and gastric varices.