Surgical management of portal hypertension in Felty's syndrome: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bleeding esophageal varices are a common complication of portal hypertension in patients with underlying liver disease. Often patients with hepatic cirrhosis have hypersplenism with thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Felty's syndrome is a disorder where patients with rheumatoid arthritis develop splenomegaly, neutropenia, and on rare occasions, portal hypertension without underlying cirrhosis.

METHODS

We present a case of a patient with portal hypertension secondary to Felty's syndrome and discuss the importance of recognizing this condition since the treatment of choice is surgical management with splenectomy. A review of the literature and underlying liver histologic features are discussed.

RESULTS

Medical and surgical management of patients with Felty's syndrome is different from those with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION

Splenectomy is the treatment of choice for complications of portal hypertension in patients with Felty's Syndrome.