Purpose : To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of conventional CT of abdomen in the detection ofesophageal varices, and to correlate CT grade of esophageal varices with prognosis and risk for bleeding.Materials & Methods : Both CT and endoscopy were performed in 100 patients. Endoscopy revealed that while 54patients had varices, 46 did not. CT criteria of variceal grading were follows : (1) wall thickening of more than5mm or irregular wall contour(grade I) ; (2) intraluminal protruding tubular structures with contrastenhancement(grade II) ; (3) confluent varices in the wall of esophagus or multiplied paraesophagealcollaterals(grade III). CT were reviewed by three radiologists without reference to clinical and endoscopic data.Results : Sensitivity and specificity of CT in the detection of esophageal varices were 80%, retrospectively. CTand endoscopic grades agreed with each other in 68% of patients, and there was high correlation between CT andendoscopy.(Gamma statistics, p=0.828). No history or endoscopic evidence of variceal bleeding was present on gradeI, but there was a high incidence on grade II(35%) and on grade III(50%)(MH Chi-Square, Ridit scores=50.561,p=0.000). Conclusion : Abdominal CT is useful in the detection of esophageal varices, and can predict the riskfactors of bleeding in patients with chronic liver diseases.