Variceal bleeding is one of the dreaded complications of portal hypertension. Although its prognosis has improved over the last several decades, it still carries substantial mortality. Although most portal hypertensive bleeds result from the ruptured distal esophageal varices, bleeding from other sources such gastric varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, and ectopic varices can lead to clinically significant bleeding.

Variceal bleeding typically presents as massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding with hematemesis, melena or hematochezia. In general, the terapeutic aims of management are to initially correct hypovolemia, to control bleeding, to prevent complications of bleeding, such as infection and renal failure and to prevent early rebleeding.

The treatment of bleeding esophageal varices differs substantially foom the treatment of other lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, patients with esophageal varices typically have severe liver disease and thus are likely from poor nutrition, blood clotting disorders, and encephalopathy, all of which can adversaly affect morbidity and mortality.