Gastro-Esophageal Varices - Searching For the Changes

This patient has lager esophageal varices as well as gastric varices. These blood vessels then continue to dilate until they become large enough to rupture. When esophageal varices rupture, patients become acutely ill. In fact, 50 percent of patients with esophageal varices will eventually bleed from the varices. The mortality rate for esophageal variceal bleeding, on the first event, is between 40 and 70 percent. Mortality is due to multiple factors. Esophageal varices are distended submucous veins that project into the esophageal lumen. They are part of the collateral circulation that develops between the portal vein and vena cava in response to portal hypertension. They develop from the plexus of esophageal veins that drain into the azygos and hemiazygos veins. They receive blood from the left gastric vein and its esophageal branches and also from the short gastric veins via the splenic vein.