Budd-Chiari Syndrome

The management of the Budd-Chiari syndrome improved dramatically during the last 10 years and includes less invasive diagnostic modalities using modern imaging, identification of a myeloproliferative disorder in 20 to 50% of the patients using the V617F JAK2 mutation, and a graduate therapeutic strategy. The common association of Budd-Chiari syndrome with a thrombotic disorder is a reason for a thorough work-up (myeloproliferative disorder, defect in C or S protein, factor V Leiden, factor II mutation, antiphosholipid syndrome, and other less common disorders). Ultrasonography should to be performed by an experimented examiner, informed of the diagnostic suspicion. The 5-year survival rate of patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome, treated with this contemporary approach (anticoagulation, treatment of the underlying cause, recanalization, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting, and liver transplantation) is above 80%.