Gastroesophageal reflux after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy
Kinoshita, Y.; Kitajima, N.; Itoh, T.; Ishido, S.; Nishiyama, K.; Kawanami, C.; Kishi, K.; Inatome, T.; Fukuzaki, H.; Chiba, T.
American Journal of Gastroenterology 87(3): 282-286
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9270 PMID: 1539560 Document Number: 391805
The effect of sclerotherapy of esophageal varices on the gastroesophageal reflux was studied. Gastroesophageal reflux was monitored by a 24-h pH-monitoring catheter introduced into the distal esophagus. The results of pH monitoring of 16 patients who underwent sclerotherapy were compared with those of 21 patients with untreated varices. Seven of the 16 treated patients showed high occurrence rates of gastroesophageal reflux comparable to those observed in cases with severe reflux esophagitis. In the untreated group, only one patient showed pathological reflux (there was a significant difference between treated and untreated groups; p less than 0.01). When the level of reflux was compared with factors that might influence sclerotherapy-induced gastroesophageal reflux, there was a positive correlation between the magnitude of reflux and amount of sclerosant injected paravariceally in the submucosal tissue (p less than 0.05). The results indicate that the paravariceal injection of sclerosant for the treatment of esophageal varix may cause pathological gastroesophageal reflux after sclerotherapy is completed.