Serum ammonia as a non-invasive marker for early prediction of esophageal varices.

Introduction: There is a growing need for identification of non-endoscopic, non-invasive methods that can accurately predict esophageal varices (EV). Previous studies found an inconclusive correlation between blood ammonia level and the presence and size of EV.

Aim: We aimed at assessing the value of serum ammonia as a non-invasive method for early prediction of EV.