Propranolol reduces variceal pressure and wall tension in schistosomiasis presinusoidal portal hypertension.

Background And Aim: Although prophylaxis with beta-blockers has been shown to decrease variceal pressure and wall tension in cirrhotic patients, this has not been demonstrated in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension caused by Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Methods: Thirteen patients without history of previous gastrointestinal bleeding were included. All of them had high-risk esophageal varices at endoscopy.

A prospective study of conventional and expanded coagulation indices in predicting ulcer bleeding after variceal band ligation.

Background & Aims: There is controversy over whether coagulation status predicts bleeding caused by ulceration after esophageal varices band ligation (EVL).

Methods: EVL was performed for primary (n = 45) or secondary (n = 105) prophylaxis in 150 patients with cirrhosis (Child A, n = 74, 49%; Child B, n = 42, 28%; Child C, n = 34, 23%). International normalized ratio (INR) and platelet counts were assessed in all.