Portal hypertension (PHT) is a common and serious clinical syndrome often associated with chronic liver diseases. Portal hypertension may be defined as portal pressure gradients of 12 mmHg or more in the veins of the portal system caused by obstruction in the liver from intrahepatic or extrahepatic portal venous compression or occlusion (often associated with chronic liver disease), causing enlargement of the spleen and collateral veins. In the western world, hepatic cirrhosis related to chronic hepatitis C and B and alcoholic cirrhosis are the conventional rationale for the development portal hypertension. Besides cirrhosis, a number of disorders collectively called as noncirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) can also result in portal hypertension. Evaluation of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension is more difficult than cirrhotic portal hypertension, both from clinical and pathological perspectives.
Key words: Animal Models, Non Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension
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