Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0899-3 (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Clinical characteristics of Hepatic Arterioportal Shunts Associated with Hepatocellular 
Carcinoma  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 Jan 2018  
 
Reviewer: Stephen H. Gray  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
This manuscript attempted to classif y A-P shunts in patients with HCC and describe the local 
experience with treating patients.  While I find this interesting I am not sure how it changes 
current practice.  
1. There are multiple grammatical and typographic errors in this manuscript. This pap er would 
benefit from a native English speaker editing and correcting the manuscript.  
 
2. The organization of this paper is poor. The hypothesis is not clearly stated.  
 
3. Why were only 137 patients in the study when here were 560 with HCC who were treated  
over the time of the study.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which  controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you rec ommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
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to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal