Usefulness of endoscopy in portal hypertension
Angelini, R.; Raschellà, G.F.
Annali Italiani di Chirurgia 56(3): 219-226
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-469X PMID: 6335826 Document Number: 237580
The diagnostic and therapeutic value of fiberendoscopy was studied in 3 groups of patients. The 1st group consisted of 85 patients with esophageal varices. The 2nd group consisted of 15 patients examined postoperatively following an intervention for azygous portal disconnection with esophageal transection. The 3rd group consisted of 21 patients subjected instead (due to various contraindications of the intervention) to sclerotherapeutic treatment. In the 1st group endoscopy permitted the diagnosis of the presence of grade 3 varices (according to the system used in Germany) in 35 patients. The other patients had grade 1 or 2 varices. Out of 47 hemorrhage patients subjected to emergency endoscopy, only 35 had bleeding varices. In 7 patients, the bleeding was due to erosions of the gastric mucosa, in 3 patients to a duodenal ulcer, in 1 to a gastric ulcer and in 1 to the Mallory-Weiss syndrome. In the 2nd group, endoscopy revealed the disappearance of esophageal varicies 1 mo. after the intervention. Excellent results were obtained in 10 patients of the 3rd group.