Long-term follow-up of patients with liver cirrhosis after endoscopic ethanol injection sclerotherapy for esophageal varices.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

Esophageal variceal hemorrhage is a severe complication of liver cirrhosis, and therapy for acute bleeding and prevention of hemorrhage are important. In this study, we evaluated the long-term cumulative survival rate of patients with esophageal varices after treatment with endoscopic ethanol injection sclerotherapy (EIS group) or pharmacological therapy (non-EIS group).

METHODOLOGY:

All 110 patients were treated for their esophageal varices and their prognosis and complications were analyzed during the follow-up period.

RESULTS:

The cumulative survival rate in the primary preventive EIS group was superior to that in the non-EIS group. The preventive EIS group had greater long-term survival rate than those treated on an emergency group. With respect to emergency therapy, the EIS group had better survival rates than the non-EIS group during the two-year follow-up period after esophageal variceal therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that primary preventive EIS is an effective therapy for survival of patients with esophageal varices over a long-term period.

• Authors: Hiroshi Okano, Katsuya Shiraki, Hidekazu Inoue, Tomoyuki Kawakita, Masatoshi Deguchi, Kazushi Sugimoto, Takahisa Sakai, Shigeru Ohmori, Kazumoto Murata, Takeshi Nakano
• Journal: Hepato-gastroenterology (Hepatogastroenterology) 2003 Sep-Oct Vol. 50 Issue 53 Pg. 1556-9 ISSN: 0172-6390 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 14571785 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Ethanol

Topics

• Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal
• Esophageal and Gastric Varices (mortality, therapy)
• Ethanol (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage (mortality, prevention & control, therapy)
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis (complications)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Sclerotherapy