Frequency of Hypersplenism in Chronic Liver Disease Patients Presenting with Pancytopenia

Abstract

Background:  Chronic liver disease is a liver disease of slow process and persisting over a long period of time, resulting in a progressive destruction of the liver. This disease has many systemic features. It has hematological manifestations as bicyto-penias and pancytopenia are frequently seen in these cases. Pancytoopenia in chronic liver disease can be due to hyper-splenism, megaloblastic anemia and primary marrow suppression. Hypersplenism is most frequent cause of  pancytopenia in chronic liver disease.

Materials and Methods:  The study was conducted in Pathology Department, King Edward Medical University Lahore.150 patients of Chronic liver disease presented with pancytopenia. Bone marrow biopsy of these patients was done to look for etiology of pancytopenia.

Results:  68% Patients were found to have Hypersplenism.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that Hypersplenism is quite frequent in patients of Chronic Liver Disease and most of the cases of Pancytopenia in CLD patients is because of Hypersplenism.