BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic procedures are the gold standard for the diagnosis of esophageal varices but these invasive methods are complex to perform in hemophilic patients co-infected with hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus (HCV/HIV). Real-time ultrasonography has been reported to be an effective, non-invasive procedure able to monitor patients with chronic liver disease and to give useful information for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension and the presence of esophageal varices. DESIGN AND METHODS: Seventy patients with severe hemophilia were evaluated by esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGDS) and ultrasonography; 40 had HCV/HIV co-infection and 30, comparable for age and HCV exposure time, were HCV+/HIV-. Hepatic longitudinal diameter, splenic longitudinal diameter, portal vein diameter and the average speed of portal flow were measured. The congestion index was calculated. RESULTS: Thirteen out of 40 (32.5%) HCV/HIV coinfected patients had esophageal varices. None out of 30 HCV+/HIV- patients had esophageal varices (p