We have evaluated 169 patients with portal hypertension receiving endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy in order to assess the predisposing factors, clinical profile, and treatment response of sclerotherapy-induced esophageal strictures. Of the 129 patients included in the final analysis, 20 (15.5%) developed persistent esophageal stricture. No significant difference was found with respect to age, nature of sclerosant (absolute alcohol, ethanolamine oleate, or sodium tetradecyl sulfate), etiology of portal hypertension, Child's class, initial variceal score, or intensity of sclerotherapy schedule between the patients who developed strictures and those who did not. However, female sex (P less than 0.01) and persistent esophageal ulceration (P less than 0.05) did predispose to stricture formation. Sclerotherapy-induced strictures presented with a variable grade of dysphagia, were always solitary, and were localized to the lower end of esophagus. Most of these could be dilated rapidly using Eder-Puestow metal olives (3.15 +/- 0.80 dilatation sessions per patient). Stricture formation did interrupt an effective sclerotherapy program but only temporarily, and successful variceal obliteration could be obtained after stricture dilatation.