PORTAL HYPERTENSION AND VARICEAL BLEEDING: AN AASLD SINGLE TOPIC SYMPOSIUM

In June 1996, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases sponsored a single topic workshop combining a two-day symposium on liver microcirculation in health and diseases1 followed by a two day consensus workshop on portal hypertension and variceal bleeding. The goal of the combined conference was to identify areas of critical importance in the understanding and treatment of portal hypertension and to foster future collaborative research projects. The portal hypertension-variceal bleeding conference consisted of eight panel discussions, each highlighting a specific topic related to evaluation and treatment of portal hypertension. The chair of each panel was charged to summarize the current state of knowledge in the field and to suggest areas for future investigation. In addition, there were three invited lecturers on specific areas of interest. This report will summarize the conclusions of each of the panels. In comparing the summary statements from the different panels, there may be differences in emphasis, definitions of endpoints, or choices for therapy. These differences are a reflection of the state of the field where areas of disagreement exist.