Clinical evolution and prognosis of bleeding from gastric versus esophageal varices: comparative study

Abstract

Introduction. Gastrointestinal bleeding is by far the most severe and life-threatening complication of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. The location of the varices is tightly bound to the management of the patient, especially as regards to the endoscopic haemostasis; hence the gastric varices have a more difficult approach than the esophageal one. Consequently the gastric variceal bleeding might have a more reserved prognosis.