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NCT Number: NCT05597488

EUS Guided Portal-systemic Pressure Gradient Measurement to Predict Treatment Response and Outcomes of Varices to Endoscopic Variceal Ligation in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis.

The aim of the current study is to assess if EUS-PPGM could predict the treatment response and outcomes of varices to endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in patients with chronic hepatitis. The hypothesis is that a high EUS-PPGM value at 3 months correlates with the presence of varices requiring EVL in patients that have received primary or secondary variceal prophylaxis on 1 year follow-up upper endoscopy.

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Key information

Conditions

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, China

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Anthony Y Teoh, FRCSEd(Gen)

CONTACT

[email protected]

35052956

Anthony Y Teoh, FRCSEd(Gen)

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age between 18 to 75 years old
  • Informed consent available
  • Suffering from chronic hepatitis induced cirrhosis
  • Suffering from oesophageal varices and received EVL as a result of
  • Primary variceal prophylaxis during a variceal surveillance program on oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) or
  • Secondary variceal prophylaxis after EVL in patients with active oesophageal variceal bleeding
  • Or bleeding gastric varices that have received endoscopic canoacrylate injection

Exclusion criteria

  • Medical Child-Pugh Class C Uncorrected platelet count <50,000 INR > 1.5 (natural) History of hepatic encephalopathy Current or history of hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Anatomical Main portal vein thrombosis Anatomic alterations of the hepatic vasculature that prevent access to the portal vein or intrahepatic portion of the hepatic veins (identified at screening and/or during the endoscopic procedure).

Previous history of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis within the previous three months Portopulmonary hypertension Cardiac decompensation

  • Endoscopically Confirmed Exclusion Criteria Presence of ascites in the path of the needle that prevents apposition of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

Presence of gastric or duodenal ulcers, dieulafoy's lesion or cancers

Treatment and study plan

EUS guided portal pressure gradient measurement

Device

EUS-guided PPGM is performed under monitored anaesthesia. The linear array echoendoscope is passed from the mouth into the stomach and duodenum, as with a standard exam. Under endoscopic ultrasound guidance, a 25 gauge EUS needle (Echotip, Cook Medical, USA) primed with heparin 100 USP/ml is then placed across the stomach or duodenal wall and through the liver parenchyma into the portal vein (Figure 3). A pressure measurement is then obtained from the compact pressure transducer attached to the handle of the needle (Figure 4). Three separate measurements are made with re-priming of heparin (less than 0.5 ml). The needle is then removed from the portal vein and liver, if necessary. The process is repeated for the hepatic vein (Figure 5). The EUS - PPG is calculated by subtracting the average of the three hepatic vein pressure measurements from the average of the 3 direct portal vein pressure measurements.

Primary outcomes

  1. Presence or absence of varices requiring EVL on 1 year follow-up upper endoscopy

    Time frame: 1 year

    The number of patients with a high EUS-PPGM at 3 months will be correlated with the presence or absence of varices requiring EVL on 1 year follow-up upper endoscopy.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Other outcome measurements

    Time frame: 1 year

    The value of Day 0, 3 months or 1year EUS-PPG would be correlated with the severity of cirrhosis, re-bleeding, number of sessions of repeated EVL and mortality at 1 year. Safety of the procedure would also be assessed as 30-day adverse events.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Anthony Teoh

CONTACT

[email protected]

852-35052956

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Oct 28, 2022
Registry last updated
Mar 20, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.