Background:
@EN Esophageal variceal hemorrhage is the most life threatening complication of portal hypertension secondary to chronic progressive liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis. Recently, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy(EIS) and endoscopic variceal
ligation(EVL) have been known to be the most effective, simple and safe methods. Gastric varices are sometimes associated with esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension. However the role of endoscopic sclerotherapy in the treatment
of
gastric varices has not been adequately evaluated, and the fate of co-existing gastric varices after eradication of esophageal varices is not clearly known.
@ES Methods:
@EN 1) EIS or EVL was preformed in 174 patients with variceal hemorrhage in CHUNG-NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOWPITAL from September 1990 to December 1993. Among the total 174 patients, 50 patients were followed for at least 1 year. Forty four
patients
were treated with EIS, and 6 with EVL. We assesed the influence of EIS or EVL on coexisting gastric varices and the development of gastric varices after EIS or EVL in 50 patients.
@ES Results:
@EN 1) Primary(present at initial examination) gastric varices were seen in 40(23.0%) of 174 patients.
2) In 6(17.1%) of the 35 patients after sclerotherapy, secondary gastric varices developed.
3) In 2(22.2%) of 9 patients who diagnosed as coexisting gastric varices in early evaluation, gastric varices were reduced or disappered after EIS.
4) Six patients with ligation therapy were followed over 1 year, and the development of secondary gastric varices were observed in 3(50%) patients.
@ES Conclusion:
@EN There results show that the development and reduction of gastric varices after EIS or EVL in portal hypertension patients, however we think that further clinical studies with a large number of cases including control group should be
undertaken
to
achieve statistical significance. (Kor J Gastrointest Endosc 16:1~7, 1996)
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