UGI bleeding in a nonalcoholic population with portal hypertension

We examined 27 patients with portal hypertension admitted because of acute UGI bleeding endoscopically within 24 hours. We identified esophageal-gastric varices as the bleeding source in 22 patients, and found no acute mucosal lesions in any of them. In only four patients was chronic liver disease due to alcohol consumption. We therefore suggest that acute mucosal lesions as a cause of UGI bleeding in patients with portal hypertension are common only in those with alcoholic cirrhosis.