Portal hypertension--25 years of progress.

Interest in the pathophysiology and management of portal hypertension has increased exponen- tially over the last 25 years, from modest begin- nings to an almost explosion of publications in the 1980's. Throughout this period the Liver Unit at King's College Hospital has maintained an active interest in the field and is associated with a number of advances particularly in rela- tion to therapy for variceal bleeding.