Colonic findings in cirrhotics with portal hypertension. A prospective colonoscopic and histological study.

Total colonoscopy was performed in 38 consecutive cirrhotics (15 alcoholic, 19 postviral, four unknown) with portal hypertension, 32 of whom were enrolled in a program of esophageal sclerotherapy because of variceal bleeding (Child's grading: A, 13; B, 21; C, 4 patients). In 34 of them, multiple biopsies from the colonic mucosa were taken. Fifty non-cirrhotics (roughly matched for age and sex with the patients) who were colonoscoped because of atypical abdominal complaints, served as controls for rectal varices, polyps, and hemorrhoids.