On August 31， 2025， the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver （APASL） updated and released management of acute variceal bleeding： updated APASL guidelines （2025 edition）， which systematically elaborates on the definition， diagnosis， assessment， and treatment of acute variceal bleeding. This article gives an excerpt of the recommendations in this guideline.

Objective To compare ablation ranges of single and double needle microwave ablation(MWA)of pig lung in vivo.Methods Five healthy Bama miniature pigs were enrolled.Single needle(single needle group)and parallel double needle MWA(double needle group)were performed successively on bilateral lungs,respectively.Adverse event during MWA was evaluated according to common terminology criteria for adverse events(CTCAE).The long diameter(D1CT),short diameter(D2CT),longitudinal diameter(D3CT)and volume(V)of ablation foci were measured and calculated based on CT images immediately after MWA,whereas D1,s D2s and sphericity of ablation foci were also obtained based on specimen and compared between groups.Results D1CT,D2CT,D3CT and V,as well as D1S,D2S and sphericity of ablation foci in single needle group were all significantly smaller than those in double needle group(all P＜0.01).Mild pneumothorax(CTCAE grade 1)was found in 1 pig(1/5,20.00%)in single needle group,while mild pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage(both CTCAE grade 1)occurred in 1 pig(1/5,20.00%)in double needle group.No other adverse event was observed.Conclusion Compared with single needle MWA,double needle MWA of pig lung in vivo resulted larger ablation range and more spherically shaped ablation foci.

Objective To investigate the clinical features, liver histological features, and diagnostic and treatment methods for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) with portal hypertension as the main manifestation. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for related data of the patients who attended the hospital due to portal hypertension and were finally diagnosed with MPN in Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, from January 2019 to February 2022, including clinical manifestation, liver pathological features, treatment, and follow-up results. Results Nine patients were included in this study, and all the patients had splenomegaly and esophageal and gastric varices, while portal vein thrombosis was observed in eight patients. All patients had normal or slightly abnormal liver function and routine blood test results. Six patients underwent liver biopsy, without the formation of fibrous septum and pseudolobule, and hepatic extramedullary hematopoiesis was observed in two patients. All nine patients underwent bone marrow biopsy and genetic testing, among whom six had essential thrombocythemia and three had primary myelofibrosis, and genetic testing revealed JAK - 2V617F gene mutation in seven patients and CALR gene mutation in two patients. Conclusion MPN is one of the rare causes of portal hypertension and has the clinical manifestations of esophageal and gastric varices, splenomegaly, and even megalosplenia, without the manifestations of hypersplenism such as leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Detection of the JAK - 2V617F and CALR genes can improve the diagnostic rate of MPN.

Portal hypertension is a serious complication of liver cirrhosis resulting from the increases in portal vascular resistance and portal blood inflow. Both etiological and non-etiological therapies can effectively reduce portal venous pressure to a certain degree, but with an unsatisfactory effect in improving prognosis. New therapeutic drugs targeting the reduction in intrahepatic vascular resistance may help to achieve the reversal of portal hypertension. Based on the pathogenesis of cirrhotic portal hypertension, this article summarizes the current pharmacotherapies from the aspects of etiological and non-etiological therapies, so as to provide a comprehensive theoretical and evidence-based basis for clinical treatment options.

Objective:To verify Baveno VI criteria, Expanded-Baveno VI criteria, liver stiffness×spleen diameter-to-platelet ratio risk score (LSPS), and platelet count/spleen diameter ratio (PSR) in evaluating the severity value of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH).Methods:111 cases of NCPH and 204 cases of hepatitis B cirrhosis who met the diagnostic criteria were included in the study. NCPH included 70 cases of idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) and 41 cases of nontumoral portal vein thrombosis (PVT). According to the severity of EV on endoscopy, they were divided into the low-bleeding-risk group (no/mild EV) and the high-bleeding-risk group (moderate/severe EV). The diagnostic value of Baveno VI and Expanded-Baveno VI criteria was verified to evaluate the value of LSPS and PSR for EV bleeding risk severity in NCPH patients. The t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the measurement data between groups. Comparisons between counting data groups were performed using either the χ2 test or the Fisher exact probability method. Results:Considering endoscopy was the gold standard for diagnosis, the missed diagnosis rates of low/high bleeding risk EVs in INCPH/PVT patients with Baveno VI and Expanded-Baveno VI criteria were 50.0%/30.0% and 53.8%/50.0%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in platelet count (PLT), spleen diameter, liver stiffness (LSM), LSPS, and PSR between low-bleeding-risk and high-bleeding-risk groups in INCPH patients, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of LSPS and PSR was 0.564 and 0.592, respectively ( P=0.372 and 0.202, respectively). There were statistically significant differences in PLT, spleen diameter, LSPS, and PSR between the low and high-bleeding risk groups in PVT patients, and the AUCs of LSPS and PSR were 0.796 and 0.833 ( P=0.003 and 0.001, respectively). In patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis, the Baveno VI and Expanded-Baveno VI criteria were used to verify the low bleeding risk EV, and the missed diagnosis rates were 0 and 5.4%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PLT, spleen diameter, LSM, LSPS and PSR between the low-bleeding-risk and high-bleeding-risk groups ( P<0.001). LSPS and PSR AUC were 0.867 and 0.789, respectively ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Baveno VI and Expanded-Baveno VI criteria have a high missed diagnosis rate for EVs with low bleeding risk in patients with INPCH and PVT, while LSPS and PSR have certain value in evaluating EV bleeding risk in PVT patients, which requires further clinical research.

Objective:To study the efficacy of direct intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (DIPS) in treatment of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS).Methods:From January 1, 2015 to June 31, 2017, consecutive patients with BCS who were treated with DIPS at the Department of Interventional Therapy of Beijing Shijitan Hospital, the Liver Disease Research Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital and the General Surgery Department of Beijing Ditan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The symptoms, physical signs (including abdominal distension, ascites, pleural effusion, splenomegaly, hepatic encephalopathy) and perioperative laboratory results of these patients were collected and analyzed. Biochemical indicators including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), and portal pressure gradient were compared before and 2 weeks after treatment. The patients were followed up for at least 3 years to assess their clinical symptoms, patency of shunt, oncological status and survival.Results:Of 67 patients with BCS who were included in the study, there were 45 males and 22 females, aged (38.12±23.22) years. The BCS classification of these patients were hepatic vein type ( n=65), including 62 patients with complete hepatic vein obstruction, 3 patients with hepatic vein occlusion due to thrombosis, and 2 patients with mixed hepatic vein and inferior vena cava occlusion. All 67 patients underwent DIPS with 93 stents being implanted. In addition, 43 patients underwent gastric coronary vein embolization, and 2 patients with mixed type of BCS underwent inferior vena cava stenting. The portal pressure gradient decreased from (22.17±9.16) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (9.87±4.75) mmHg, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Abdominal distension was relieved, at one month and ascites completely subsided in 3 months after operation. The liver congestion and swelling were obviously relieved. Comparison of patients 2 weeks after operation and before operation, ALT decreased from (65.28±27.75) U/L to (28.43±13.46)U/L, AST from (68.75±29.23) U/L to (26.92±13.33)U/L, TBil from (175.31±80.48)μmol/L to (45.08±26.54)μmol/L, DBil from (127.55±44.65)μmol/L to (35.12±10.77)μmol/L, and albumin increased from (31.56±7.22) g/L to (44.18±11.36)g/L, the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). All patients were followed up for at least 3 years. Shunt stenosis was detected in 5 patients (7.46%) with shunt expansion being performed, variceal bleeding in 2 patients (2.99%), ascites recurrence in 4 patients (5.97%) and hepatic encephalopathy in 2 patients (2.99%). No patients were diagnosed with hepatic cancer, and no patients died. Conclusion:DIPS was efficacious, safe and reliable to that BCS patients. It rapidly reduced portal venous pressure, relieved liver congestion, and restored liver morphology and liver function in these patients.

With in-depth studies on the pathogenesis, pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis of liver cirrhosis in recent years, there have been great changes in staging and treatment concepts among scholars in China and globally. Besides the traditional staging system of compensated and decompensated liver cirrhosis, liver cirrhosis can be divided into five stages based on ascites, variceal bleeding, and severe infection, which highlights the features of this disease in different disease stages and this provides potential targets and basis for treatment. At present, the comprehensive management of liver cirrhosis, including etiological treatment, treatment targeting key pathogenesis and major complications, nutritional support, exercise guidance, and lifestyle adjustment (smoking cessation, alcohol withdrawal, and improvement of oral hygiene), is the key to delaying disease progression and improving prognosis, and liver transplantation remains the most effective approach for end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Objective:To evaluate the rapid diagnostic value of serum novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) IgM/IgG detection in COVID-19, aiming to further improve the diagnostic and screening system of COVID-19.Methods:Blood samples were collected from 32 patients with COVID-19 (tested positive for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid by RT-PCR and presented with clinical symptoms) and 34 non-COVID-19 patients (tested negative for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid by RT-PCR and clinically confirmed as non-COVID-19 patients). Colloidal gold-based immunochromatography was used for rapid detection of 2019-nCoV IgM/IgG in these samples. The sensitivity and specificity of the test, and the correlation of serum 2019-nCoV IgM/IgG with disease course were analyzed.Results:Among the 32 COVID-19 patients, nine tested positive for 2019-nCoV IgM with a positive rate of 28.1% (9/32) and 25 positive for 2019-nCoV IgG with a positive rate of 78.1% (25/32). The total positive rate was 84.4% (27/32). Two of the 34 non-COVID-19 patients tested positive for 2019-nCoV IgG with a positive rate of 5.9% (2/34), while none of them was positive for 2019-nCoV IgM. The positive rates of serum IgM were 42.9% (3/7), 30.8% (4/13) and 16.7% (2/12) at 10-20 d, 21-30 d and 31-40 d after the patients developed the symptoms of COVID-19, respectively, which showed a decreasing tread with prolonged disease course. The positive rates of serum IgG in COVID-19 patients were 57.1% (4/7), 84.6% (11/13) and 83.3% (10/12) at 10-20 d, 21-30 d and 30-40 d after symptom onset. The rate showed an increasing trend with prolonged disease course and reached the peak in about 21-30 d.Conclusions:Serum 2019-nCoV IgM/IgG detection (using colloidal gold method) had high sensitivity (84.4%) and strong specificity (94.1%) in the diagnosis of 2019-nCoV infection. It had a great value in the diagnosis and screening of COVID-19 and could be used as a valuable complementary method to the COVID-19 diagnostic system due to its advantages of flexibility, rapidity and simplicity.

Liver cirrhosis is the end stage of liver disease, and decompensated liver cirrhosis has the significant feature of portal hypertension. At present, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) remains the “gold standard” for evaluating portal hypertension and thus has great significance in clinical practice. This article elaborates on the value of HVPG in predicting end events in compensated and decompensated liver cirrhosis and the application of HVPG in evaluating the therapeutic effect of drugs in the treatment of portal hypertension, so as to provide a basis for early prediction, early prevention, and early intervention of portal hypertension in clinical practice.

Objective: To develop a convolution neural network (CNN) model to classify multi-sequence MR images of the prostate. Methods: ResNet18 convolution neural network (CNN) model was developed to classify multi-sequence MR images of the prostate. A deep residual network was used to improve training accuracy and test accuracy. The dataset used in this experiment included 19 146 7-sequence prostate MR images (transverse T₁WI, transverse T₂WI, coronal T₂WI, sagittal T₂WI, transverse DWI, transverse ADC, transverse PWI), from which a total of 2 800 7-sequence MR images was selected as a training set. Three hundred and eighty eight 7-sequence MR images were selected as test sets. Accuracy was used to evaluate the effectiveness of ResNet18 CNN model. Results: The classification accuracy of the model for transverse DWI, sagittal T₂WI, transverse ADC, transverse T₁WI, and transverse T₂WI was as high as 100.0% (44/44,52/52), and the accuracy for transverse PWI was also as high as 96.7% (116/120). The accuracy for coronal T₂WI was 77.5% (31/40). 0.8% (1/120) of transverse PWI was incorrectly assigned to transverse T₂WI, and 2.5% (3/120) incorrectly assigned to sagittal T₂WI. 15.0% (6/40) of coronal T₂WI was incorrectly assigned to transverse T₂WI, and 7.5% (3/40) to sagittal T₂WI. Conclusion The experimental results show the effectiveness of our deep learning method regarding accuracy in the prostate multi-sequence MR images detection.