Impact of Oesophageal Variceal Injection on Gastric Varices in Cirrhotic Patients

Abstract

AIM: Gastric variceal (GV) bleeding has the characteristics of more severe blood loss and higher mortality and is a more difficult management problem than oesophageal variceal (OV) hemorrhage. Therefore, it is important to identify patients with ‘high risk’ GV and it is important to knowing the effect of sclerotherapy on appearance of gastric varices. This study aim to show impact of esophageal variceal injection sclerotherapy on gastric varices appearance in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: Included 100 cirrhotic patients presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to oesophageal varices. All patient were subjected to history, clinical examination, laboratory investigation and upper GIT endoscopy: to detect size, shape, site and grades of oesophageal varices. After follow up of those patients for 6 months: we divided them into group 1 and group 2 according to presence or absence of gastric varices. RESULTS: Gastric varices appeared after injection sclerotherapy of oesophageal varices in 10 patients (10%). There were no statistical significant differences between group1and group 2 as regard age, sex, clinical data and laboratory data.On the other hand there was no statistical significant difference between group 1 and group 2 patients as regard grade of esophageal varices CONCLUSION: There is little relation between OV injection sclerotherapy and appearance of gastric varices.