Budd-Chiari syndrome: hepatic venous web outflow obstruction treated by percutaneous placement of hepatic vein stent.

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) denotes a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction at the level of the hepatic veins or inferior vena cava resulting in portal hypertension. Traditional approach to treatment of BCS involves systemic thrombolysis and surgical portosystemic shunt or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in progressive cases of BCS or as a bridge to transplantation. Recently, an increasing number of successful reports of BCS therapy have involved endovascular techniques, including angioplasty and stent placement. The present report illustrates successful percutaneous recanalization of complete hepatic vein occlusion by angioplasty and stent implantation in a patient with membranous obstruction.