Cavernous XXXX : factors affecting disease progression in general hepatology practice.

@entity1 @entity2695 @entity75 @entity409 @entity344 @entity490 @entity158 @entity2477 @entity99 @entity1744
BACKGROUND: Although for asymptomatic @entity99 conservative management is generally recommended, factors affecting the disease course are still not very well understood. AIM: To determine disease characteristics of @entity2477 and factors affecting its progression in @entity1 from a general hepatology clinic in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 198 @entity1 with cavernous @entity409 visiting a large private hepatology clinic in Tehran from 1997 to 2007. Of a total of 198 cases, 129 could be followed up for a period of 3.2    2.5 years, and 80 of these had 1-5 repeated sonographies. RESULTS: @entity1 were between 27 and 84 years old (mean age: 44.3    10.9 years), and 131 (66.2%) were female. Thirty-six @entity1 (18.2%) had @entity2695 . @entity490 was the primary reason for evaluation in 100 (50.5%) @entity1 . @entity490 at the beginning of the follow-up was significantly associated with having @entity1744 [odds ratio (OR)=8.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.1-28.7] or other @entity344 (OR=3.9; 95% CI: 2.6-10.2), but not with @entity2695 size, number, or location. During follow-up, having a @entity75 at the time of diagnosis, adjusted for age, sex, and presence of @entity1744 , was a strong predictor of persistent @entity158 during follow-up (OR=11.1; 95% CI: 3.2-38.6). In repeated sonographies, 35% showed an increased size, which was significantly associated only with having a single lesion (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: Many symptoms in @entity99 are attributable to accompanying @entity344 . @entity1 with a @entity75 are more likely to have persistent @entity158 , and single lesions are more likely to grow in size.
