Peritoneovenous shunt is normally used for the treatment of refractory ascites. However, its efficacy in treating tolvaptan-resistant refractory ascites has not been reported thus far. In addition, the impact of peritoneovenous shunt on the prognosis of cirrhotic patients remains controversial. In the present report, a case of tolvaptan-resistant refractory ascites associated with liver cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis is described. The male patient was diagnosed with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis at the age of 51 years. At the age of 56 years, the patient developed portal vein thrombosis, resulting in the development of refractory ascites. Since the ascites was resistant to treatment with a low-sodium diet and diuretics such as tolvaptan, a peritoneovenous shunt was implanted upon obtaining consent. The shunt immediately increased the urine volume, and the ascites was markedly decreased. The patient's body weight decreased from 62.7 to 57.1 kg in 2 days, and his ascites symptom inventory-7 score decreased from 23 to 0 points in 31 days. Although the patient succumbed to sepsis on day 486 following the shunt implant, his activities of daily living were preserved until 8 days prior to mortality. Thus, the present case supports the efficacy of peritoneovenous shunt for the treatment of tolvaptan-resistant refractory ascites associated with liver cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis. Furthermore, the present case suggests that peritoneovenous shunt may prolong the survival of cirrhotic patents with refractory ascites.
Keywords: activities of daily living; peritoneovenous shunt; prognosis; quality of life; refractory ascites.