Hepatic vein obstruction is a blockage of the hepatic vein, which carries blood away from the liver.

Budd-Chiari syndrome; Hepatic veno-occlusive disease

Hepatic vein obstruction prevents blood from flowing out of the liver and back to the heart. This blockage can cause liver damage. Obstruction of this vein can be caused by a tumor or growth pressing on the vessel, or by a clot in the vessel (hepatic vein thrombosis).

Most often, it is caused by conditions that make blood clots more likely to form, including:

• Abnormal growth of cells in the bone marrow (myeloproliferative disorders)
• Cancers
• Chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases
• Infections
• Inherited (hereditary) or acquired problems with blood clotting
• Oral contraceptives
• Pregnancy

Hepatic vein obstruction is the most common cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Images

Digestive system organs

Next Section

Hepatic vein obstruction (Budd Symptoms

Review Date: 07/07/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)