Clinical and Splenoportographic Studies on 6 Cases with Repeating Hepatic Encephalopathy

Clinical and splenoportographic studies were made on 6 cases with repeating hepatic encephalopathy without episodes of alimentary tract hemorrhages. In all cases spleno-renal shunt was found. There were 2 cases with esophageal varices and 5 cases with gastric varices. There was 1 case without gastric and esophageal varices. The caval vein in 4 cases and the heart in 2 cases were radioopacified by contrast medium through the spleno-renal shunt. These caval venographies and cardiographies were thought to be the evidences of higher shunt ratio of spleno-renal collateral. In the patients with repeating hepatic encephalopathy, there was a great possibility of the presence of splenorenal shunt.