Abstract: @@ Despite much progress has been made in treatment and research in recent decades,variceal hemorrhage is still one of the most severe complications of liver cirrhosis.1 Studies of the natural history of gastroesophageal varices indicate that gastroesophageal varices are present in about half of cirrhotic patients when endoscopy is performed at the time of the diagnosis of cirrhosis.The presence of gastroesophageal varices correlates with the severity of liver disease.