After several months, jaundice, fever, and other symptoms of liver failure may appear. This blockage causes considerable swelling in the legs and abdomen. The characteristic symptoms are the main clues to the diagnosis. X-rays of the veins taken after an injection of a radiopaque substance may reveal the precise location of the blockage. In some cases, surgery may be performed to connect the portal vein to the vena cava, thus decompressing the portal vein through a bypass of the liver.
Liver transplantation can be the most effective treatment.
Portal Vein Thrombosis Portal vein thrombosis is a blockage of the portal vein by a blood clot. The blockage may be caused by cirrhosis or by cancer of the liver, pancreas, or stomach. Portal vein thrombosis also can occur in any condition that backs up blood in the portal vein, such as Budd-Chiari syndrome, chronic heart failure, or chronic constrictive pericarditis. An abnormal tendency for blood to clot can cause portal vein thrombosis as well. The cause of portal vein thrombosis often cannot be found.