The effectiveness of danaparoid sodium for portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients

Abstract

When danaparoid sodium was given to 15 cirrhotic patients complicated with portal vein thrombosis (Child-Pugh classification A: B: C=3, 11, 1 patients), results of the treatment were as follows: the thrombosis disappeared in 2 patients, reduced in 10, and remained unchanged in 3; in total, 12 of 15 patients (80.0%) showed disappearance/reduction of thrombosis. Thrombosis remained unchanged in cases where portal vein thrombosis was accompanied by cavernous transformation. Moreover, among the patients who did not receive warfarin treatment, 2 out of 7 patients showed enlargement of portal vein thrombosis, and 3 of 11 patients experienced aggravation of the symptoms. In contrast, 4 patients who received maintenance therapy with warfarin did not show enlargement of portal vein thrombosis or worsening symptoms. These results suggest that danaparoid sodium would be generally effective for portal vein thrombosis. However, treatment efficacy was not expected in cases with chronic and organized portal vein thrombosis with cavernous transformation. In such cases, maintenance therapy with warfarin would be applicable to prevent recurrence and/or worsening of portal vein thrombosis.