Grade 1 esophageal Varices

[Coastman25]

Hi all. I've been diagnosed with Grade 1 oesophageal varices this week following an endoscopy. My consultant has referred me for a scan to rule out Cirrhosis even though my bloods are all healthy and normal. I used to be a heavy drinker but stopped over 6 years ago. I've had scans on my liver since I stopped drinking which were fine. I'm worried now. I've spoken to the hospital who say it's all fine and he's just referred me for the scan to be sure. I've had so many blood tests done over the last 12 months after a mystery illness/virus last year but they always come back perfectly healthy. I suppose I could have had the Varices for years and just not known as this was my first endoscopy. Any advice to help calm me down would be appreciated. Many thanks. Adam

[Fibro2021]

The fact that you were ordered to have a liver scan to rule out cirrhosis is standard practice for assessing the overall health of the liver in the presence of varicose veins, as they may be associated with portal hypertension. Esophageal varices can indeed be a sign of portal hypertension, which can occur both with cirrhosis and with other liver diseases that are not related to cirrhosis. If you currently have no symptoms, such as bleeding or pain, then it's likely that everything will be limited to regular check-ups. This will help monitor your condition and prevent potential complications. If it turns out to be related to non-cirrhotic causes, it would then be called non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH)

[Coastman25 in reply to Fibro2021]

Thanks very much for your response. I don't have any pain or bleeding thankfully. I only found out by chance from the endoscopy so I've no idea how long they've been there. I'll be glad to get the scan done so at least I'll know. Thanks again 👍

[DeKa]

A suggestion, you could ask the doctors whether they have ruled out portal vein thrombosis (PVT).

Good luck,

De

[Coastman25 in reply to DeKa]

I'll ask the consultant on my follow up appointment. Thanks 🙏

[Smegmer]

Normal blood tests – This is huge. Liver function tests (ALT, AST, bilirubin, etc.) and platelet counts are early flags for liver issues, and yours are fine.

Liver scans in the past were normal – If those showed no scarring or fibrosis, and nothing significant has changed recently, that’s another strong sign.

You stopped drinking over 6 years ago – Your liver has likely had time to heal, and even if there was early damage, the progression may have halted or reversed.

Hospital staff aren’t alarmed – Medical teams tend to be honest when something is urgent. If they’re telling you it’s routine, it likely is.

You’ve had thorough recent testing – Given the "mystery illness" you mentioned, you’ve been under the microscope, and any serious liver dysfunction would almost certainly have shown up.

[Coastman25 in reply to Smegmer]

Thanks so much for your reply. You've explained that really well and I've found that really reassuring 🙏