Background: The impact of asymptomatic superior mesenteric vein (SMV) thrombosis on the outcomes of cirrhotic patients remains uncertain.
Methods: Nonmalignant cirrhotic patients who were consecutively admitted between December 2014 and September 2021 and underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging scans were screened. Portal venous system thrombosis (PVST) was identified. Death and hepatic decompensation were the outcomes of interest. Nelson-Aalen cumulative risk curve analysis and competing risk regression analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of asymptomatic SMV thrombosis and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) on the outcomes.
Results: Overall, 475 patients were included, of whom 67 (14.1%) had asymptomatic SMV thrombosis, 95 (20%) had PVT, and 344 (72.4%) did not have any PVST. Nelson-Aalen cumulative risk curve analyses showed that the cumulative incidences of death (p = 0.653) and hepatic decompensation (p = 0.630) were not significantly different between patients with asymptomatic SMV thrombosis and those without PVST, but the cumulative incidences of death (p = 0.021) and hepatic decompensation (p = 0.004) were significantly higher in patients with PVT than those without PVST. Competing risk regression analyses demonstrated that asymptomatic SMV thrombosis was not a significant risk factor for death (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] = 0.89, p = 0.65) or hepatic decompensation (sHR = 1.09, p = 0.63), but PVT was a significant risk factor for death (sHR = 1.56, p = 0.02) and hepatic decompensation (sHR = 1.50, p = 0.006). These statistical results remained in competing risk regression analyses after adjusting for age, sex, and Child-Pugh score.
Conclusion: Asymptomatic SMV thrombosis may not influence the outcomes of cirrhotic patients. The timing of intervention for asymptomatic SMV thrombosis in liver cirrhosis should be further explored.
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