[Effectiveness of endoscopic sclerotherapy in the treatment of bleeding esophageal varices]

92 patients to whom urgent endoscopy and sclerotherapy of esophageal varices was performed are studied retrospectively. After the bleeding episode, elective sclerosis sessions were performed to eradicate varices, to prevent hemorrhagic complications and post-sclerotic stenosis somatostatin, H2 antagonists and sucralfate were administered. The Total number of sessions was 331, with a mean of 3.6 per patient (range 1-10). Immediate hemostasis was achieved in 93% of patients, with an early relapse in 10.4% of them. Hemorrhagic relapse two years following therapy was 35.8%. Mortality was 41%; 8% of the decreased patients belonged to Child's A functional grade, 24% belonged to B; and 68% to C. There was a 44% of complications, but only one death was due to the technique. No patient developed symptomatic stenosis neither hemorrhage secondary to esophageal ulceration. We conclude that endoscopic sclerotherapy is one of the principal therapeutic options in the hemorrhage due to esophageal varices, although new studies are necessary to define the role of somatostatin and H2 antagonists in the prophylaxis of complications.