[Endoscopic therapy of esophageal varices. An evaluation of the current status].

Endoscopy plays a major role for the treatment of acute esophageal variceal bleeding. As concerns prophylaxis of rebleeding endoscopic treatment should be balanced against a shunt procedure (open surgical procedure or intrahepatic stent) or drugs (e.g. propranolol), respectively. Sclerotherapy may be replaced by endoscopic ligation in the near future, at least for the treatment of large varices, since ligation has less adverse effects. Prophylaxis of first bleeding by endoscopic measures is not generally recommended.