What causes esophageal varices?

What causes esophageal varices?

The liver is the organ that cleanses toxins (poisons) from the blood. The portal vein delivers blood to the liver. Esophageal varices usually occur in people who have liver disease. Blood flow through the liver slows in people who have liver disease. When this happens, the pressure in the portal vein goes up.

High blood pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension) pushes blood into surrounding blood vessels, including vessels in the esophagus. These blood vessels have thin walls and are close to the surface. The extra blood causes them to expand and swell. Varices also can develop in the small blood vessels in the upper part of the stomach.

If the pressure caused by the extra blood gets too high, varices can break open and bleed. Bleeding is an emergency that requires urgent treatment. Uncontrolled bleeding can quickly lead to shock and death.

Thrombosis (blood clot) in the portal vein or the splenic vein, which connects to the portal vein, can cause esophageal varices.

Two rare conditions that can cause esophageal varices are Budd-Chiari syndrome (blockage of certain veins in the liver) and infection with the parasite schistosomiasis.