Study of hemodynamic changes in portal systemic shunts and their relation to variceal relapse after endoscopic variceal ligation combined with ethanol sclerotherapy

Background Among the factors influencing variceal relapse after endoscopic treatment, portal hemodynamic changes, especially in portal systemic shunts, could be the most important factor because hemodynamics are directly related to the development of esophageal varices. We aimed to clarify the influence of endoscopic treatment for esophageal varices on portal systemic shunts as well as its predictive value for variceal relapse.