Abdussalam Shredi MD, Benjamin Elberson PhD
Pregnancy is a rare event in patients with cirrhosis because the metabolic and hormonal changes associated with cirrhosis lead to anovulation and amenorrhea. Liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension is considered one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal bleeding in general and comes after peptic ulcer disease. Gastrointestinal bleeding in the setting of portal hypertension occurs secondary to either esophageal varices or portal hypertensive gastropathy. Its management can be challenging in general, and pregnancy can only make it more complicated. In this article we will review the management of variceal gastrointestinal bleeding in pregnancy.
Keywords: gastrointestinal bleeding, pregnancy, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, varices, esophagogastroduodenoscopy
Article citation: Shredi A, Elberson B. Gastrointestinal bleeding in pregnant patients with cirrhosis: pathophysiology, review of outcomes, and management. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles 2018;6(25):19–25
From: The Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas
Submitted: 4/8/2018
Accepted: 6/15/2018
Reviewers: Ariwan Rakvit MD, Edward Yeomans MD
Conflicts of interest: None
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