gastrointestinal disorders
Varices
Symptoms and Signs of Varices
Patients typically present with sudden, painless, upper GI bleeding, often massive. Symptoms and Signs may be present. Bleeding is usually from the distal esophagus, less often from the gastric fundus. Bleeding from gastric varices also may be acute but is more often subacute or chronic. Bleeding into the GI tract may precipitate portal-systemic encephalopathy in patients with impaired hepatic function. 