Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 319, Issue 8264, 16 January 1982, Pages 124-127
The Lancet

INCREASED LONG-TERM SURVIVAL IN VARICEAL HAEMORRHAGE USING INJECTION SCLEROTHERAPY: Results of a Controlled Trial

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(82)90378-6Get rights and content

Abstract

Analysis of 107 patients with cirrhosis and recent variceal haemorrhage included in a prospective randomised trial of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy showed that in the sclerotherapy group 22 (43%) of the 51 patients had episodes of haemorrhage during the period of treatment, but in only 4 did bleeding occur after the varices had been obliterated. This contrasts with episodes of bleeding in 42 (75%) of the 56 patients receiving standard medical management—a highly significant difference. The overall risk of bleeding per patient-month of follow-up was reduced threefold with sclerotherapy. Of 22 patients followed up for at least one year after obliteration of varices, 14 had no evidence of reappearance of varices within this period and, by means of cumulative life-analysis tables, survival was shown to be significantly improved in the sclerotherapy group.

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