الفهرس 
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Abstract
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Moreover, the burden of chronic liver disease is projected to increase due in part to the increasing prevalence of end-stage liver disease and HCC secondary to NAFLD and HCV.
The combination of improvements in rejection rates and in surgical technique led to an enormous expansion of the field during the 1980s, with expansion from 3 centers in 1982 to more than 120 centers today. Currently, approximately 16,000 patients are on the liver waiting list, and slightly more than 6,300 liver transplants were performed in 2008 (United Network for Organ Sharing [UNOS]
Despite significant improvements in the medical management of the complicationsof liver cirrhosis including hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation (LTx) remains the =only definitive treatment option for patients with end-stage liver disease.
Summary
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Liver transplantation (LT) has developed from an experimental approach with very high mortality to an almost routine procedure with good short and long-term survival rates. During the last 15 years, survival rates world-wide are relatively stable with an overall survival (OS) of > 80% in the first year and > 70% at 5 years.
Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication in terminal-stage liver disease. Its incidence in liver transplantation (LT) ranges from 2.1% to 26%; In the past, PVT was considered an absolute contraindication for LT, especially due to the technical difficulty involved. Nonetheless, since the mid-1980s, with the introduction of new surgical techniques, PVT is no longer considered an absolute contraindication in a larger percentage of patients.
In cirrhotic patients, portal hemodynamics seems to be the main factor leading to thrombosis. The characteristic changes of cirrhosis as well as changes in vasoreactivity result in increased intrahepatic vascular resistance and reduced portal flow. Evidence shows that both pro and anticoagulant factors are decreased in cirrhosis, resulting in a compensated hemostatic balance.
Portal vein thrombosis is most often asymptotic in patients with advanced cirrhosis, so that diagnosis is based on systemic imaging.