Value of gallbladder wall thickness and the platelet count-to-gallbladder wall thickness ratio in predicting high-risk esophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis

Đỗ Thành Đông 1 , Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly 1 , Phan Như Quỳnh 2 , Nguyễn Văn Thuận 3, 4 , Trần Quốc Thắng 5 ,
1 De Men Pediatric Clinic, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2 Cho Ray Hospital image/svg+xml
3 Hoan My Research and Training Institute, Hoan My Medical Corporation, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
4 FDCare Medical System, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
5 University of Health Sciences image/svg+xml
* Corresponding author:

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DOI
10.63947/bvtn.v2i9.9
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Published
2026-10-01
Issue Vol. 2 No. 9 (2026): A Major Step Forward in Specialized Care: A Milestone Marked by the First Liver Transplant at Thong Nhat Hospital
Section
Original Research

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Đỗ TĐ, Nguyễn TTL, Phan NQ, Nguyễn VT, Trần QT. Value of gallbladder wall thickness and the platelet count-to-gallbladder wall thickness ratio in predicting high-risk esophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis. JHA [Internet]. Vietnam; 2026 Oct. 1 [cited 2026 Oct. 16];2(9):67–75. https://tcsuckhoelaohoa.vn/bvtn/article/view/228 doi: 10.63947/bvtn.v2i9.9
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Abstract

Esophageal varices (EV) are a serious complication of cirrhosis, with 15–25% mortality when bleeding occurs. Endoscopy is the diagnostic gold standard but is invasive and costly. This study evaluated the correlation between gallbladder wall thickness (GBWT) and EV severity and the predictive value of GBWT and the platelet count-to-GBWT ratio (PLT/GBWT). This cross-sectional study included 72 patients aged ≥18 years with cirrhosis at Thong Nhat Hospital from December 2023 to October 2024. GBWT was measured by ultrasonography and EV by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Spearman correlation, ROC analysis, and the Youden index were used. Mean age was 61.1 ± 12 years, and 70.8% were male. EV and high-risk EV were present in 73.6% and 70.8%, respectively. GBWT showed a moderate positive correlation with EV severity (r = 0.64; p < 0.001). The AUC for GBWT was 0.93 for EV (cutoff 5.12 mm; sensitivity 73.6%; specificity 100%) and 0.90 for high-risk EV (sensitivity 74.5%; specificity 95.2%). The corresponding AUCs for PLT/GBWT were 0.74 and 0.72. GBWT showed good predictive performance and higher AUCs than PLT/GBWT, suggesting potential utility for risk stratification and prioritization of endoscopy where advanced diagnostic resources are limited.

Keywords

gallbladder wall thickness esophageal varices cirrhosis platelet count-to-gallbladder wall thickness ratio

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