A endoscopia digestiva alta (EDA) é considerada o método mais preciso para identificar varizes.[5]Kaplan DE, Ripoll C, Thiele M, Fortune BE, et al. AASLD practice guidance on risk stratification and management of portal hypertension and varices in cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2024 May 1;79(5):1180-211.
https://journals.lww.com/hep/fulltext/2024/05000/aasld_practice_guidance_on_risk_stratification_and.22.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37870298?tool=bestpractice.com
[6]The Italian Liver Cirrhosis Project. Reliability of endoscopy in the assessment of variceal features. J Hepatol. 1987 Feb;4(1):93-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3494762?tool=bestpractice.com
[33]Calès P, Zabotto B, Meskens C, et al. Gastroesophageal endoscopic features in cirrhosis. Observer variability, interassociations, and relationship to hepatic dysfunction. Gastroenterology. 1990 Jan;98(1):156-62.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2293575?tool=bestpractice.com
[34]Berzigotti A, Bosch J, Boyer TD. Use of noninvasive markers of portal hypertension and timing of screening endoscopy for gastroesophageal varices in patients with chronic liver disease. Hepatology. 2014 Feb;59(2):729-31.
https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hep.26652
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23913844?tool=bestpractice.com
No entanto, a EDA é invasiva e associada ao risco. A identificação de pacientes com baixa probabilidade de apresentar varizes gastroesofágicas de alto risco pode ajudar a evitar o rastreamento com EDA (endoscopia). Técnicas não invasivas ou minimamente invasivas para avaliar a hipertensão portal foram propostas e estão bem estabelecidas.[32]Ravaioli F, Montagnani M, Lisotti A, et al. Noninvasive assessment of portal hypertension in advanced chronic liver disease: an update. Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2018 Jun 7;2018:4202091.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/grp/2018/4202091
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29977287?tool=bestpractice.com
As medições da rigidez hepática e/ou esplênica ou escores compostos podem identificar pacientes com hipertensão portal clinicamente significativa. Os valores de corte adequados para esses parâmetros podem ser precisos na exclusão de pacientes da endoscopia com razão de probabilidade negativa inferior a 0.10.[29]Berzigotti A, Seijo S, Arena U, et al. Elastography, spleen size, and platelet count identify portal hypertension in patients with compensated cirrhosis. Gastroenterology. 2013 Jan;144(1):102-11.e1.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23058320?tool=bestpractice.com
[30]Colecchia A, Montrone L, Scaioli E, et al. Measurement of spleen stiffness to evaluate portal hypertension and the presence of esophageal varices in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis. Gastroenterology. 2012 Sep;143(3):646-54.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22643348?tool=bestpractice.com
[31]Takuma Y, Nouso K, Morimoto Y, et al. Measurement of spleen stiffness by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging identifies cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices. Gastroenterology. 2013 Jan;144(1):92-101.e2.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23022955?tool=bestpractice.com
[44]Jangouk P, Turco L, De Oliveira A, et al. Validating, deconstructing and refining Baveno criteria for ruling out high-risk varices in patients with compensated cirrhosis. Liver Int. 2017 Aug;37(8):1177-83.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5511584
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28160373?tool=bestpractice.com
Os critérios expandidos do Baveno VI foram validados em várias coortes de pacientes (com doença hepática crônica avançada compensada) e sugerem que a endoscopia só pode ser indicada se a medida da rigidez hepática (MRH) for ≥25 kPa e a contagem plaquetária for ≤110 x 10⁹ células/L.[35]Augustin S, Pons M, Maurice JB, et al. Expanding the Baveno VI criteria for the screening of varices in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease. Hepatology. 2017 Dec;66(6):1980-8.
https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hep.29363
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28696510?tool=bestpractice.com
Essa regra de predição potencialmente evitaria 40% das endoscopias, com um risco associado de não percepção de 0.6% (IC de 95% de 0.3 a 1.4%) das varizes que requerem tratamento entre pacientes com doença hepática crônica avançada compensada.[35]Augustin S, Pons M, Maurice JB, et al. Expanding the Baveno VI criteria for the screening of varices in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease. Hepatology. 2017 Dec;66(6):1980-8.
https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hep.29363
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28696510?tool=bestpractice.com
Os pacientes com MRH <20 kPa e contagem plaquetária >150,000/mm³ têm uma probabilidade muito baixa (<5%) de apresentar varizes de alto risco; portanto, a EDA pode ser evitada com segurança.[5]Kaplan DE, Ripoll C, Thiele M, Fortune BE, et al. AASLD practice guidance on risk stratification and management of portal hypertension and varices in cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2024 May 1;79(5):1180-211.
https://journals.lww.com/hep/fulltext/2024/05000/aasld_practice_guidance_on_risk_stratification_and.22.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37870298?tool=bestpractice.com
Pacientes que não atendem a esses critérios devem ser submetidos à endoscopia de rastreamento quando o diagnóstico de cirrose é realizado.
A videoendoscopia por cápsula é uma alternativa segura e bem tolerada para pacientes que não são candidatos à EDA, ou se a EDA não estiver disponível.[39]McCarty TR, Afinogenova Y, Njei B. Use of wireless capsule endoscopy for the diagnosis and grading of esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2017 Feb;51(2):174-82.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5218864
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27548729?tool=bestpractice.com
No entanto, a sensibilidade da endoscopia por cápsula não é suficiente para substituir a EDA como exploração inicial.[39]McCarty TR, Afinogenova Y, Njei B. Use of wireless capsule endoscopy for the diagnosis and grading of esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2017 Feb;51(2):174-82.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5218864
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27548729?tool=bestpractice.com
[40]Colli A, Gana JC, Turner D, et al. Capsule endoscopy for the diagnosis of oesophageal varices in people with chronic liver disease or portal vein thrombosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Oct 1;(10):CD008760.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008760.pub2/full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25271409?tool=bestpractice.com