Spontaneous Decrease in Portal Pressure with Clinical Improvement in Cirrhosis

THERE is much to be learned regarding the natural history of portal hypertension in cirrhosis. This is a natural consequence of the lack of a technic for direct measurement of portal pressure and the relative difficulty of documenting the presence of esophageal varices. Increased reliance on surgical portal decompression for the control of esophageal hemorrhage focuses attention on the need for knowledge regarding spontaneous fluctuations in portal pressure that may be correlated with progression or improvement in the cirrhotic process.The possibility that portal hypertension, once developed, will decrease spontaneously has been suggested by reports of reduction in size or . . .