Portal hypertension is a relatively common condition, the complications of which are frequently life threatening. Patients with portal hypertension represent an important por tion of the daily clinical work of abdominal radiologists, gastroenterologists and abdominal surgeons. During the past two decades the development of new radiological devices and of new percutaneous image-guided treatment methods has resulted in fundamental changes in the clinical management of patients with portal hypertension. During the same period tremen dous progress was achieved in the visualization of the numerous morphological and func tional changes observed in patients with portal hypertension, due to the clinical introduc tion of the new cross-sectional imaging methods: ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. I am very grateful to Prof. Plinio Rossi, an internationally recognized leader in the field of interventional radiology, for accepting the challenging task of compiling and presenting in a structured way the numerous facts and data that have become available during the past few years in this rapidly developing field. The editor has been inspired and successful in his selection of the impressive group of international experts that has contributed to many chapters of this volume.

Pathophysiology of Portal Hypertension

The Clinical Course of Portal Hypertension in Liver Cirrhosis
Historical Review of Initial Experience in the Imaging and Pathophysiological Evaluation of Portal Hypertension
Angiography and Radiological Anatomy of the Portal System
Surgical Anatomy of the Portal System
Doppler Ultrasound in Portal Hypertension
Color Doppler of Portal Hypertension: A Pictorial Essay
Computed Tomography in Portal Hypertension
Value of Multi-Detector Array CT in the Assessment of Portal Hypertension
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Portal System
MR Quantification of Portal Venous Flow
Portal Pressure Measurement
Medical Therapy of Portal Hypertension
Endoscopic Treatment
Surgical Therapy of Portal Hypertension: Porta- and Meso-caval Shunts
The Distal Splenorenal Shunt
Transmesenteric Method of Intrahepatic Portosystemie Shunt Placement: tm TIPS
TIPS: Historical Background and Technique
TIPS: Complications
Transjugular Intrahepatic Shunt Stenosis and Thrombosis: Shunt Biology and Stent -Grafts
TIPS: Portal Thrombosis
TIPS in Egyptian Hepatic Schistosomiasis
Histologic Findings in Transjugular Intrahepatie Portosystemic Shunts Stenosis
TIPS Follow-up: Color Doppler
Long-Term Outcome of TIPS
TIPS: Refractory Ascites and Encephalopathy
TIPS: Covered Stents and Long-Term Results
TIPS: Percutaneous Retroperitoneal Spie no renal Shunt (PRESS)
Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Transjugular Intrahepatie Portosystemic Shunt for the Prevention of Rebleeding in Patients with Cirrhosis
List of Contributors.