Idiopathic splenic vein stenosis: a cause of gastric variceal hemorrhage.

We report the case of a patient with isolated gastric variceal bleeding. Obesity precluded the use of noninvasive means for assessing splenic vein patency. Splenic vein stenosis was diagnosed by transhepatic portal and splenic venography with pressure measurements. A cause for the stenosis could not be found. Splenectomy was used as a curative measure.