Complications related to portal hypertension are the main cause of death in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Even after the underlying cause is controlled, clinical events during the progression of portal hypertension, such as esophageal variceal bleeding, ascites, overt hepatic encephalopathy, and acute-on-chronic liver failure, are the most critical factors leading to high mortality in chronic liver disease. The hepatic venous pressure gradient is the "gold standard" for assessing portal hypertension, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is an essential tool for screening and evaluating esophagogastric varices and their severity. However, both are invasive procedures, making them unsuitable for screening and monitoring portal hypertension. Non-invasive diagnostic methods based on spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) using vibration-controlled transient elastography can be used for screening, stratifying diagnosis, and monitoring portal hypertension and esophageal varices. At the recent 2024 Jinling Liver Disease Conference, Professor Jinjun Chen from Nanfang Hospital, shared advances in the non-invasive diagnosis of portal hypertension and esophagogastric varices in ACLD patients using spleen stiffness. The content is summarized as follows for the readers.

To help clinicians and researchers in the field of hepatology stay updated with academic knowledge and research trends, Hepatology Digest and the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology (JCTH) jointly launched the "Journal Club" column. Every two weeks (Tuesday), one selected article is highlighted, focusing on key points or insights to improve clinical practice, inspire research thinking, and enhance writing skills.