In patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension increases the risk of which bleeding complication?

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Multiple Choice

In patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension increases the risk of which bleeding complication?

Portal hypertension in cirrhosis drives the formation of collateral veins, especially in the lower esophagus, creating esophageal varices. These dilated veins have thin walls and are prone to rupture when the pressure is high, leading to massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding—the classic and most dangerous bleeding complication in cirrhosis. Other sources like gastric ulcers stem from NSAIDs or H. pylori, not portal pressure; renal hemorrhage and epistaxis are not direct, portal-pressure–driven bleeds.

Portal hypertension in cirrhosis drives the formation of collateral veins, especially in the lower esophagus, creating esophageal varices. These dilated veins have thin walls and are prone to rupture when the pressure is high, leading to massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding—the classic and most dangerous bleeding complication in cirrhosis. Other sources like gastric ulcers stem from NSAIDs or H. pylori, not portal pressure; renal hemorrhage and epistaxis are not direct, portal-pressure–driven bleeds.

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