Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for developing portal hypertension that can lead to the formation, dilation, and rupture of esophageal varices. The annual incidence of esophageal varices is approximately 5% and one third of those will bleed.

Variceal bleeding (abnormal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels) is a severe and frequent complication of cirrhosis, a condition in which scarring and damage to the liver reduces its function.