I86: Varicose veins of other sites
I86.4: Gastric varices
The stomach is located in the upper abdomen. The stomach has a curved shape, and is connected to the gullet (oesophagus) at its upper end and with the first part of the small intestine at its lower end. Between the stomach and the small intestine there is a circular sphincter, the pylorus. The inside of the stomach is lined with mucous membrane.
Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart. Most veins in the stomach carry the blood to the liver first. From the liver, the blood then flows through the vena cava, the largest vein, to the heart. The other veins in the stomach carry the blood straight to the vena cava.
The widened veins can form, for example, when the blood is unable to flow away from the stomach properly. Then the blood accumulates and the veins get wider.
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