{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T18:35:27Z","timestamp":1775673327099,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,23]],"date-time":"2024-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727049600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Esophageal varices, dilated submucosal veins in the lower esophagus, are commonly associated with portal hypertension, particularly due to liver cirrhosis. The high morbidity and mortality linked to variceal hemorrhage underscore the need for accurate diagnosis and effective management. The traditional method of assessing esophageal varices is esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which, despite its diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, presents limitations such as interobserver variability and invasiveness. This review aims to explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the management of esophageal varices, focusing on its applications in diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment optimization. Methods: This systematic review focuses on the capabilities of AI algorithms to analyze clinical scores, laboratory data, endoscopic images, and imaging modalities like CT scans. Results: AI-based systems, particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms, have demonstrated the ability to improve risk stratification and diagnosis of esophageal varices, analyzing vast amounts of data, identifying patterns, and providing individualized recommendations. However, despite these advancements, clinical scores based on laboratory data still show low specificity for esophageal varices, often requiring confirmatory endoscopic or imaging studies. Conclusions: AI integration in managing esophageal varices offers significant potential for advancing diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment strategies. While promising, AI systems should complement rather than replace traditional methods, ensuring comprehensive patient evaluation. Further research is needed to refine these technologies and validate their efficacy in clinical practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm14091012","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,24]],"date-time":"2024-09-24T03:49:46Z","timestamp":1727149786000},"page":"1012","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Applications of Artificial Intelligence-Based Systems in the Management of Esophageal Varices"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0007-8962","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vlad Dumitru","family":"Brata","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-4418-6465","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victor","family":"Incze","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7435-271X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdulrahman","family":"Ismaiel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Medical Department, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9062-9919","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daria Claudia","family":"Turtoi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2951-7085","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona","family":"Grad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Medical Department, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Raluca","family":"Popovici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5230-6680","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Traian Adrian","family":"Duse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6020-4724","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teodora","family":"Surdea-Blaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Medical Department, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2980-169X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandru Marius","family":"Padureanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5442-3138","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liliana","family":"David","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Medical Department, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1983-2793","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miruna Oana","family":"Dita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Corina Alexandrina","family":"Baldea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. 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