Portal vein stenting for portal hypertension caused by local recurrence after pancreatoduodenectomy for periampullary cancer

Portal hypertension after extensive abdominal surgery is an unusual cause of repetitive gastrointestinal bleeding. We report on a 68-year-old male patient with intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to portal vein stenosis caused by local recurrence of the distal bile duct cancer after pancreatoduodenectomy. Severe portal vein stenosis without sufficient development of portal venous collaterals was detected 25 months after pancreatoduodenectomy. Direct portography using a percutaneous transhepatic approach showed that there was a pressure gradient of 18 mmHg across the portal vein stenosis. Portal vein stenting successfully relieved portal hypertension and bowel congestion. Gastrointestinal bleeding episodes ceased after stenting. The patient died from liver metastasis 14 months after stent insertion and 39 months after pancreatoduodenectomy. Based on this case and literature reports, the possibility of portal vein stenosis should be considered for patients who have undergone pancreatoduodenectomy and then showed unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding. Percutaneous transhepatic stent insertion appears to be the treatment of choice for focal portal vein stenosis.