Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Hepatic vein obstruction (Budd-Chiari)

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Budd-Chiari syndrome; Hepatic veno-occlusive disease


Symptoms
  • Abdominal swelling or stretching
  • Pain in the right upper abdomen
  • Vomiting blood
  • Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)

Signs and tests

One of the signs is swelling of the abdomen from fluid buildup (ascites). The liver is often swollen and tender.

Tests include:

  • CT scan or MRI of the abdomen
  • Doppler ultrasound of the liver veins
  • Liver biopsy
  • Liver function tests
  • Ultrasound of the liver

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)