Relationship between Portal Pressure, Esophageal Varices, and Variceal Bleeding on the Basis of the Stage and Cause of Cirrhosis

Background and Methods: Hepatic venous pressure gradient, esophageal varices, and variceal bleeding were investigated in 957 patients with cirrhosis. The causes (alcoholic/virus) and stage (Child-Pugh's classification) of cirrhosis were also taken into account. Results: The prevalence of variceal bleeding was 35% in patients with large varices and 17% in those with small varices (P<0.05). It was higher in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (41% and 19%, respectively) than in those with viral cirrhosis (22% and 10%, respectively). In patients with alcoholic cirrhosis the hepatic venous pressure gradient was higher in Child A and B patients with small or large varices than in those with no varices; these differences were not found in Child C patients and in patients with viral cirrhosis. In all subgroups the pressure gradient was higher in Child C patients than in Child A patients. There was no significant difference in the hepatic venous pressure gradient between patients with varices and previous variceal ...