SUMMARY
ABSTRACT Pediatric Portal Hypertension (PPH) is a health problem in Cuba; that is why an applied, descriptive, explanatory, longitudinal and prospective research was carried out at "Pepe Portilla" Children Teaching Hospital during 2006-2007. Objective: To demonstrate the usefulness of the abdominal Sonography in the diagnosis, natural history and prognosis of these patients. The universe and sample was comprised of both-sexes, and all ethnic patients having a confirmed diagnosis of PPH. Age, sex, pathological records, most frequent symptoms, signs, findings through conventional abdominal ultrasound, Doppler Sonography and sonographic evolution were the variables analyzed. Results showed: male sex prevailed, homogeneous distribution among the group of ages, more than the half of patients presented history of umbilical catheterization during neonatal period, among the symptoms: abdominal pain, upper digestive bleeding and spleen enlargement stood out; the most frequent findings were: splanchnomegaly, alterations of the liver echostructure, collateral circulation and alterations of the portal system, which was notable with Doppler ultrasound; the group of patients presenting stable conditions prevailed regarding sonographic progress. Key words: ultrasonography, Portal hypertension.