Enlarged blood vessels in the collateral circulation of the esophagus.
Twisted, swollen veins in the esophagus.
Large, swollen, varicose veins in the lower portion of the esophagus (the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach) that can erode and bleed. Esophageal varices are usually caused by portal hypertension (increased blood pressure in the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines to the liver). Portal hypertension is usually due to liver disease. When a person has the severe liver disease cirrhosis, blood flowing from the abdominal organs to the liver encounters increasing resistance and is diverted to the esophageal veins. Consequently, those veins swell and balloon into the esophagus.