Esophageal varices

Esophageal varices
Esophageal varices
Other names	Esophageal varix, oesophageal varices
	Gastroscopy image of esophageal varices with prominent cherry-red spots and wale signs
Specialty	Gastroenterology, Hematology, Hepatology (liver disease)
Symptoms	vomiting blood, passing black stool
Complications	Internal bleeding, hypovolemic shock, cardiac arrest
Causes	portal hypertension (high blood pressure in the portal vein and the associated blood vessels in the hepatic, or liver-based, circulation)
Diagnostic method	Endoscopy

Esophageal varices are extremely dilated sub-mucosal veins in the lower third of the esophagus.^[1] They are most often a consequence of portal hypertension,^[2] commonly due to cirrhosis.^[3] People with esophageal varices have a strong tendency to develop severe bleeding which left untreated can be fatal. Esophageal varices are typically diagnosed through an esophagogastroduodenoscopy.^[4]

^ Rubin, Raphael; Strayer, David S.; Rubin, Emanuel, eds. (2012). Rubin's Pathology: Clinicopathologic Foundations of Medicine (6th ed.). Lippincot Williams & Wilkins. p. 612. ISBN 9781605479682.
^ Cushman, James (2018-01-01), Harken, Alden H.; Moore, Ernest E. (eds.), "Chapter 44 - Portal Hypertension and Esophageal Varices", Abernathy's Surgical Secrets (Seventh Edition), Elsevier, pp. 195–199, doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-47873-1.00044-9, ISBN 978-0-323-47873-1, retrieved 2020-11-23
^ Awad, Joseph; Wattacheril, Julia (2012-01-01), Jarnagin, William R.; Blumgart, Leslie H. (eds.), "Chapter 75B - Esophageal varices: Acute management of portal hypertension", Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Tract (Fifth Edition), Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, pp. 1135–1138.e1, doi:10.1016/b978-1-4377-1454-8.00120-x, ISBN 978-1-4377-1454-8, retrieved 2020-11-23
^ Biecker E, Schepke M, Sauerbruch T (2005). "The role of endoscopy in portal hypertension". Dig Dis. 23 (1): 11–7. doi:10.1159/000084721. PMID 15920321.