Splenomegaly and hypersplenism in cirrhotic patients before and after orthotopic liver transplantation

Spleen length was measured by ultrasound in 15 patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). A significant decrease was found in splenic length after OLT (from 179 ± 32 to 149 ± 30 mm, P = 0.0001; mean percent decrease = 16.7 ± 9.9%). Hypersplenism disappeared in 9/13 cases after transplantation. Mean portal flow velocity was valued in 10/15 subjects before and after OLT. A trend towards increased mean portal flow velocity after OLT was observed (from 16.0 ± 9.0 to 22.3 ± 9.0 cm/s). The correlation between values of mean portal flow velocity measured before and after OLT was not significant (r= 0.558, p = 0.0939). The same was true for the correlation between mean portal flow velocity and spleen length measured before and after OLT.