Recurrence factors studied by percutaneous transpepatic portography before and after endoscopic sclerotherapy for esophageal varies

High recurrence and rebleding rates have been reported when endocopic sclerotherapy has been performed on patients with esophageal varices. We studied the relationship between embolization range and recurrence rate in 26 patients in whom percutaneous transhepatic portography was carried out before and after sclerotherapy. Patients were divided into complete and incomplete embolization groups. The complete and incomplete embolization groups. The complete embolization group consisted of 16 patients whose esophageal varices had disappeared and in whom embolization of the feeders to the varices had occurred. The incomplete embolization group consisted of 10 patients whose esophageal varices had disappeared, but no embolization had occurred. Recurrence rates within 2 yr after the treatment were compared between complete and incomplete embolization groups. The recurence rates in the respective groups were 6.7% (1 of 15) and 70.0% (7 of 10), indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05) and indicating that embolization of both esophageal varices and their feeders is essential to lower the recurrence rate after sclerotherapy. (HEPATOLOGY 1990;11:348–352.)