Esophageal Varices
Basics
Description
- Dilated submucosal esophageal veins connecting the portal and systemic circulations
- Most commonly results from portal hypertension (usually a result of cirrhosis)
- Variceal rupture: most common fatal complication of cirrhosis; severity of liver disease correlates with presence of varices and risk of bleeding.
Epidemiology
Incidence
- 30% of cirrhotic patients have varices at the time of diagnosis; 90% of cirrhotic patients will have varices at 10 years.
- 1-year rate of first variceal bleeding is 5% for small varices and 15% for large varices.
Prevalence
- 50% of patients with esophageal varices experience bleeding at some point.
- Variceal bleeding: 10–20% mortality in the 6 weeks following the episode
- Gender: male > female
Etiology and Pathophysiology
- Portal hypertension causes the formation of portacaval anastomoses to decompress the portal circulation. This leads to a congested submucosal venous plexus with tortuous dilated veins, particularly in the distal esophagus. Variceal rupture results in hemorrhage.
- Pathophysiology of portal hypertension:
- Increased resistance to portal flow at the level of hepatic sinusoids caused by:
- Intrahepatic vasoconstriction due to decreased nitric oxide production and increased release of endothelin-1 (ET-1), angiotensinogen, and eicosanoids
- Sinusoidal remodeling causes disruption of blood flow.
- Increased portal flow caused by hyperdynamic circulation due to splanchnic arterial vasodilation through mediators such as nitric oxide, prostacyclin, and TNF
- Increased resistance to portal flow at the level of hepatic sinusoids caused by:
- Causes of portal hypertension:
- Prehepatic:
- Extrahepatic portal vein obstruction
- Massive splenomegaly with increased splenic vein blood flow
- Posthepatic:
- Severe right-sided heart failure, constrictive pericarditis, and hepatic vein obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome)
- Intrahepatic:
- Cirrhosis (accounts for most cases of portal hypertension)
- Less frequent causes are schistosomiasis, massive fatty change, diseases affecting portal microcirculation as nodular regenerative hyperplasia, and diffuse fibrosing granulomatous disease as sarcoidosis.
- Prehepatic:
Genetics
Cirrhosis is rarely hereditary.
Risk Factors
- Cirrhosis. In cirrhotic patients, thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly are independent predictors of esophageal varices.
- Noncirrhotic portal hypertension. Increased bleeding risk for known varices is associated with varix size, endoscopic signs (red wale marks, cherry-red spots), vessel wall thickness, and abrupt increase in variceal pressure (i.e., Valsalva maneuver).
- MELD/Child-Pugh score; presence of portal vein thrombosis; high hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG)
General Prevention
Prevent underlying causes: Prevent alcohol abuse, administer hepatitis B vaccine, needle hygiene, IV drug use (needle exchange programs reduce risk of hepatitis); specific screening and therapy for hepatitis B and C, hemochromatosis
Commonly Associated Conditions
- Portal hypertensive gastropathy; varices in stomach, duodenum, colon, rectum (causes massive bleeding, unlike hemorrhoids); rarely at umbilicus (caput medusae) or ostomy sites
- Isolated gastric varices can occur due to splenic vein thrombosis/stenosis from hypercoagulability/contiguous inflammation (most commonly, chronic pancreatitis).
- Other complications of cirrhosis: hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, hepatorenal syndrome, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatocellular carcinoma
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Citation
Domino, Frank J., et al., editors. "Esophageal Varices." 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 33rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116220/all/Esophageal_Varices.
Esophageal Varices. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, et al, eds. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116220/all/Esophageal_Varices. Accessed November 21, 2024.
Esophageal Varices. (2025). In Domino, F. J., Baldor, R. A., Golding, J., & Stephens, M. B. (Eds.), 5-Minute Clinical Consult (33rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116220/all/Esophageal_Varices
Esophageal Varices [Internet]. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, Stephens MBM, editors. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. [cited 2024 November 21]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116220/all/Esophageal_Varices.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Esophageal Varices
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ED - Baldor,Robert A,
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ED - Stephens,Mark B,
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