Management of esophageal varices: an update from Digestive Disease Week and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 2003.

Esophageal varices are a commonly encountered complication of cirrhosis. beta-blockers are a well-established cornerstone of the treatment of portal hypertension and primary and secondary prophylaxis for prevention of esophageal variceal bleeding. However, not all patients tolerate this type of therapy. Moreover, the exact role of esophageal variceal band ligation alone or in combination with beta-blocker therapy in the management of patients with esophageal varices remains to be defined. This summary report presents a number of recent studies addressing these important issues.