Budd-Chiari syndrome in small hepatic veins: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in a low resource setting

Sultana, Emiko, Hasan, M Tasdik ORCID: 0000-0002-3256-093X, Mahmood, Hassan Rushekh, Ansar, Adnan, Podder, Vivek, Emrul, Khan and Ali, Md Yusuf (2021) Budd-Chiari syndrome in small hepatic veins: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in a low resource setting. JOURNAL OF FAMILY MEDICINE AND PRIMARY CARE, 10 (8). pp. 3154-3158.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2213_20

Abstract

<h4>Introduction</h4>Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a rare condition affecting one in a million adults. BCS involves outflow obstruction in the hepatic venous system, which can occur anywhere between the small hepatic veins and the atrio-caval junction and cannot be due to heart, pericardial, or hepatic veno-occlusive disease.<h4>Case presentation</h4>We report an exceedingly rare form of BCS with less common initial clinical features in a young poor adult male patient which ignited a diagnostic uncertainty and a therapeutic challenge. The presence of the classical triad of BCS in the absence of major hepatic vein obstruction prompted the medical team to consider that the patient had a rare form of BCS. In this case, the financial condition of the patient and limited resources available restricted our ability to advance into the specific investigations. However, the patient was given symptomatic medical treatment and was followed up monthly. We also provided the patient with a statement that reaffirmed our inability to provide affordable surgical management options and called for an optimized national clinical guideline that could help the physicians deal with the challenges.<h4>Conclusion</h4>An uncommon form of BCS in this patient provided a diagnostic challenge and therapeutic uncertainty in the low-resource settings. Primary care physicians should commence evidenced medical management based on clinical suspicion acknowledging the fact that obstruction of small hepatic veins is often not detected on an ultrasound.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Budd-Chiari syndrome, small hepatic vein, low-resource setting
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	08 Sep 2022 07:57
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 20:45
DOI:	10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2213_20
Open Access URL:	https://journals.lww.com/jfmpc/Fulltext/2021/10080...
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3163849