Budd-Chiari syndrome

Patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome require close monthly monitoring for recurrence of symptoms, and development of both disease and treatment-related complications. Patients should be evaluated for clinical improvement (encephalopathy, weight, fever, pain), improvement in blood parameters, and tolerance to diuretics.

Patients who develop recurrence of symptoms following radiologic or surgical shunting require assessment of the patency of the shunts by color Doppler sonogram. A follow-up transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure (dilation, re-stenting) and recanalization by mechanical or pharmacologic thrombolysis should be performed if the stent has thrombosed.