Portal Hypertension in the 21st Century

1 Portal hypertensive syndrome: its importance and complications.- 2 The vascular endothelium and nitric oxide.- 3 Endothelial-derived nitric oxide as a marker for healthy endothelium.- 4 Mechanisms of hepatic fibrogenesis.- 5 The role of hepatic stellate cells/myofibroblasts.- 6 Structural changes in the liver leading to cirrhosis and portal hypertension.- 7 The paradox: vasoconstriction and vasodilation.- 8 Nitric-oxide-mediated vasodilation and portal hypertension.- 9 Impaired vasodilation in cirrhotic livers.- 10 Enhanced release of vasoconstrictors.- 11 Endogenous cannabinoids and circulatory dysfunction in cirrhosis.- 12 NCX-1105: a liver-specific NO donor.- 13 Possibilities of manipulating NO biosynthesis in the treatment of portal hypertension: statins.- 14 Pathophysiological role of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in cirrhosis.- 15 Nitric oxide synthase gene transfer.- 16 Inhibition of nitric-oxide-mediated vasodilation (including K+ channels).- 17 Esophageal varices: from appearance to rupture; natural history and prognostic indicators.- 18 Pathophysiology of variceal bleeding.- 19 Approaches to the management of pediatric portal hypertension: results of an informal survey.- 20 Therapeutic tools in portal hypertension: drugs.- 21 Endoscopy in the management of portal hypertension.- 22 Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS): current indications.- 23 Prevention of first variceal bleeding: drugs.- 24 Prevention of first variceal bleeding: endoscopy.- 25 Treatment of acute variceal bleeding: general management and prevention of infections.- 26 Hemostatic treatments.- 27 Prevention of recurrent portal hypertensive bleeding.- 28 Cost-effectiveness of primary prophylaxis for esophageal variceal bleeding.- 29 The cirrhotic patient with no varices and with small varices.- 30 Gastric varices.- 31 The patient who cannot receive beta-blockers.- 32 Hepatic venous pressure gradient: the facts.- 33 Hemodynamic monitoring: implications for randomized controlled trials and clinical practice.- 34 What to do with non-responders.- 35 What else we need.