The relationship between the degree of portal hypertension measured by the corrected sinusoidal pressure (CSP), the size of varices graded endoscopically, the risk of variceal hemorrhage and the prognosis following portal decompression were studied in 32 patients with cirrhosis demonstrated by examination of a biopsy specimen. The CSP was no different in patients with large-sized versus small or moderate-sized varices. CSP was of no discriminant value in patients with bleeding versus nonbleeding varices and, furthermore, was of no prognostic value in patients requiring operative portal decompression. The risk of variceal bleeding was highest in patients with large-sized varices. We conclude, therefore, that CSP measurements have little if any therapeutic or prognostic importance in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension or gastrointestinal bleeding. CSP may, however, be useful in establishing extrahepatic or presinusoidal causes of portal hypertension.