Portal vein thrombosis

What it means

Thrombosis of the portal vein and/or its tributaries, which include the splenic vein and the superior and inferior mesenteric veins.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) can occur within the main portal vein, or it can occur in the branches of the portal vein within the liver itself. It can be an occluding thrombus or nonoccluding, with a clot present but continued blood flow through the vessel. The sequela of a long-standing PVT is cavernous formation of the portal vein, which represents bridging collaterals around the occlusion.

Rare diseases that can present with this5

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category