Abstract: Objective To investigate CT perfusion imaging of the lateral branch circulation of esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension in hepatitis B cirrhosis. Methods Between August 2021 and July 2023, 105 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis portal hypertension with esophageal varices were admitted to our hospital as the occurrence group, and 60 patients with no esophageal varices in the same period were selected as the control group. CT perfusion imaging was performed in both groups, and their parameters were compared between the two groups. ROC curve was used to analyze the value of CT perfusion mean contrast passage time, peak contrast time, vascular permeability, and blood flow changes in predicting oesophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension in hepatitis B cirrhosis. Results The mean contrast passage time, peak contrast time, and vascular permeability of the occurrence group were (13.8±3.5) s, (19.9±5.4) s, and (40.8±11.3) mL/(100 g·min), respectively, which were higher than those of the control group [(10.2±2.4) s, (17.1±3.1) s, and (31.7±10.2) mL/(100 g·min)], the blood flow in the occurrence group was (16.5±3.6) mL/(100 g·min), which was lower than that in the control group [(22.8±5.3) mL/(100 g·min), P<0.05]; The results of ROC curve analysis showed that CT perfusion mean contrast passage time, peak contrast time, vascular permeability, and blood flow changes were of great value in predicting esophageal varices in patients with hepatitis B cirrhotic portal hypertension complicated. Conclusion CT perfusion mean contrast passage time, peak contrast time, vascular permeability, and blood flow changes can be highly evaluated as predictors of concomitant esophageal varices in patients with hepatitis B cirrhotic portal hypertension.

Key words: Hepatitis B cirrhosis, Portal hypertension, Esophageal varices, Collateral circulation, CT perfusion imaging