One-hundred-seventy-five patients with oesophageal variceal bleeding and liver cirrhosis who underwent long-term injection sclerotherapy were prospectively followed for 44 +/- SD 17 months. While aetiology (alcoholic vs. non-alcoholic cirrhosis) had no influence on survival, the Child status assessed at the time of initiation of sclerotherapy was of important prognostic value (mortality rate after a mean follow-up of 44 months: Child A 5%, Child B 45%, and Child C 83%). Initiation of sclerotherapy (elective vs. emergency) had no influence on survival in the A/B patients, whereas electively treated Child C patients had a somewhat better outcome than those in whom sclerotherapy was started during active bleeding. Rebleeding, especially within the first two months after starting repeat sclerotherapy, was significantly influenced by the Child status of the patients. About one-fourth of all deaths were combined with rebleeding in the Child B and C patients, but none of the A patients had intestinal bleeding prior to death. It is concluded that Child A patients have an excellent long-term prognosis after variceal haemorrhage treated by repeated endoscopic injection of the varices.