Venous anatomy of the lower oesophagus in portal hypertension: practical implications

The venous anatomy of the lower oesophagus and upper stomach in man was studied using high resolution resin casts obtained from ten fresh cadavers. Four layers of veins were identified in the oesophagus of both normal and portal hypertension patients. Intra-epithelial channels drained into a superficial venous plexus which connected to larger deep intrinsic veins. Both the superficial plexus and the deep intrinsic veins communicated directly with their counterpart veins in the stomach. Perforating veins connected the deeper veins with the adventitial plexus, the fourth layer. In patients with portal hypertension all of these veins were significantly dilated. Typical large oesophageal varices arose from the main trunks of the deep intrinsic veins which communicated directly with gastric varices. This study clarifies the anatomy of oesophageal varices and may explain why sclerotherapy is usually effective. The venous communications are probably partly responsible for the recurrence of varices after sclerotherapy.