Clinical evaluation of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy using n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for gastric variceal bleeding

Safety, Efficacy, and Outcomes of N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate Glue Injection through the Endoscopic or Radiologic Route for Variceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to assess the efficacy, safety, and outcomes of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) injection for the treatment of variceal gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). The MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases were searched for English-language studies published from January 1980 to December 2019 and including patients who had injection of NBCA for variceal GIB. Two independent reviewers extracted and evaluated the data from eligible studies. Exclusion criteria were sample size < 5, article reporting the use of NBCA with other embolic agents, no extractable data, and duplicate reports. NBCA was injected during endoscopy in 42 studies and through a direct percutaneous approach for stomal varices in 1 study. The study’s endpoints were: Technical success, 30-day rebleeding, and 30-day overall and major complications. The estimated overall rates were computed with 95% confidence intervals, based on each study rate, weighted by the number of patients involved in each study. In total, 43 studies with 3484 patients were included. The technical success rate was 94.1% (95% CI: 91.6–96.1%), the 30-day rebleeding rate was 24.2% (18.9–29.9%), and 30-day overall and major complications occurred in 15.9% (11.2–21.3%) and 5.3% (3.3–7.8%) of patients, respectively. For treating variceal GIB, NBCA injection is a safe and effective method that demonstrates high technical success rate and very low major complication rate.

Primary prophylaxis of gastric variceal bleeding: endoscopic obturation, radiologic intervention, or observation?

BACKGROUND

No single effective method has yet been established for the primary prophylaxis of bleeding from gastric varices (GV).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed liver cirrhosis patients with GV who had undergone either endoscopic variceal obturation (EVO) or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) as prophylactic treatments, comparing them with those who were observed without any procedural intervention. The endpoints were GV bleeding rate and complete eradication rate.

RESULTS

72 patients in EVO, 41 patients in BRTO, and 97 patients in the clinical observation groups were enrolled. No difference was observed in baseline characteristics. As the primary endpoint, 14 (19.4%) patients in the EVO group and 3 (7.3%) in the BRTO group bled from GV after prophylactic treatment, and 34 (35.1%) patients bled in the observation group during the median follow-up of 35 months (p = 0.001). Patients who received EVO or BRTO developed less bleeding from GV than those who received observation only, with no difference between EVO and BRTO (EVO vs. observation, p = 0.038; BRTO vs. observation, p = 0.001; EVO vs. BRTO, p = 0.089). As secondary endpoints, GV disappeared completely in 33 patients (45.8%) in the EVO group and 31 patients (75.6%) in the BRTO group (p = 0.003). By multivariate analysis, complete eradication of GV was the sole determinant for predicting GV bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

EVO and BRTO are effective and safe primary prophylactic treatments for preventing bleeding from GV. In particular, BRTO is better than EVO in complete eradication of GV.

Prevention and management of gastroesophageal varices

Bleeding from gastroesophageal varices is a serious complication in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Although there has been significance improvement in the prognosis of variceal bleeding with advancement in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for its management, mortality rate still remains high. Therefore, appropriate prevention and rapid, effective management of bleeding from gastroesophageal varices is very important. Recently, various studies about management of gastoesophageal varices, including prevention of development and aggravation of varices, prevention of first variceal bleeding, management of acute variceal bleeding, and prevention of variceal rebleeding, have been published. The present article reviews published articles and practice guidelines to present the most optimal management of patients with gastroesophageal varices.

Management of gastric varices associated with portal hypertension

The rate of gastric variceal bleeding is significantly lower than that of esophageal variceal bleeding. Although gastric variceal bleeding occurs in only 10% of cirrhotic patients with hemorrhage, the bleeding is usually more severe, and is associated with higher mortality. To date, the majority of studies have focused on the treatment of esophageal variceal bleeding, but there were few studies on the treatment of gastric varices. As a result, there is still no standardized treatment for gastric varices. Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate is currently the optimum approach to control active bleeding from gastric varices. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) can be used in acute gastric variceal bleeding and secondary prophylaxis. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) may be used in patients with gastric varices associated with a gastrorenal shunt. In recent years, endoscopic therapy and radiologic therapy have been developed for the treatment of patients with gastric variceal bleeding associated with portal hypertension. Here we describe the optimum treatment strategies for gastric variceal bleeding associated with portal hypertension as well as their therapeutic effects and complications.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided vascular access and therapy (with videos)

The continued need to develop minimally invasive alternatives to surgical and radiologic interventions has driven the development of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided treatments. EUS has now stepped into the therapeutic arena. EUS provides the unique advantage of both real-time imaging and access to structures within and adjacent to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Hence, EUS-guided therapeutic techniques continue to evolve in several directions enabling a variety of minimally invasive therapies for pancreatic and biliary pathologies. Furthermore, the close proximity of the GI tract to vascular structures in the mediastinum and abdomen permits EUS-guided vascular access and therapy. Studies have demonstrated several EUS-guided vascular interventions by using standard endoscopic accessories and available tools from the interventional radiology armamentarium. This article provides an overview of the literature including clinical and nonclinical studies for the management of nonvariceal and variceal GI bleeding, formation of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (IPSS), and EUS-guided cardiac access and therapy.

Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate glue versus other endoscopic procedures for acute bleeding gastric varices in people with portal hypertension

BACKGROUND

In people with portal hypertension, gastric varices are less prevalent than oesophageal varices. The risk of bleeding from gastric varices seems to be lower than from oesophageal varices; however, when gastric varices bleed, it is often severe and associated with higher mortality. Endoscopic sclerotherapy of bleeding gastric varices with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate glue (cyanoacrylate) is considered the best haemostasis with a lower risk of re-bleeding compared with other endoscopic methods. However, there are some inconsistencies between trials regarding mortality, incidence of re-bleeding, and adverse effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate compared with other endoscopic sclerotherapy procedures or with variceal band ligation for treating acute gastric variceal bleeding with or without vasoactive drugs in people with portal hypertension and to assess the best dosage of cyanoacrylate.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded from inception to September 2014 and reference lists of articles. We included trials irrespective of trial setting, language, publication status, or date of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised clinical trials comparing sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate versus other endoscopic methods (sclerotherapy using alcohol-based compounds or endoscopy band ligation) for acute gastric variceal bleeding in people with portal hypertension.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We performed the review following the recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Module.We presented results as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), with I(2) statistic values as a measure of intertrial heterogeneity. We analysed data with both fixed-effect and random-effects models, and reported the results with random-effects models. We performed subgroup, sensitivity, and trial sequential analyses to evaluate the robustness of the overall results, risk of bias, sources of intertrial heterogeneity, and risk of random errors.

MAIN RESULTS

We included six randomised clinical trials with three different comparisons: one trial compared two different doses of cyanoacrylate in 91 adults, bleeding actively from all types of gastric varices; one trial compared cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds in 37 adults with active or acute bleeding from isolated gastric varices only; and four trials compared cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation in 365 adults, with active or acute bleeding from all types of gastric varices. Main outcomes in the included trials were bleeding-related mortality, failure of intervention, re-bleeding, adverse events, and control of bleeding. Follow-up varied from six to 26 months. The participants included in these trials had chronic liver disease of different severities, were predominantly men, and most were from Eastern countries. We judged all trials at high risk of bias. Application of quality criteria for all outcomes yielded very low quality grade of the evidence in the three analyses, except for the low quality evidence rated for the re-bleeding outcome in the cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation comparison. Two different doses of cyanoacrylate: we found very low quality evidence from one trial for the effect of 0.5 mL compared with 1.0 mL of cyanoacrylate on all-cause mortality (20/44 (45.5%) with 0.5 mL versus 21/47 (45%) with 1.0 mL; RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.65 to 1.60), 30-day mortality (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.41 to 2.80), failure of intervention (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.56 to 2.05), prevention of re-bleeding (RR 1.30; 95% CI 0.73 to 2.31), adverse events reported as fever (RR 0.56; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.98), and control of bleeding (RR 1.04; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.38). Cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds: we found very low quality evidence from one trial for the effect of cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds on 30-day mortality (2/20 (10%) with cyanoacrylate versus 4/17 (23.5%) with alcohol-based compound; RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.09 to 2.04), failure of intervention (RR 0.36; 95% CI 0.09 to 1.35), prevention of re-bleeding (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.30 to 2.45), adverse events reported as fever (RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.80), and control of bleeding (RR 1.79; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.84). Cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation: we found very low quality evidence for the effect of cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation on bleeding-related mortality (44/185 (23.7%) with cyanoacrylate versus 50/181 (27.6%) with endoscopic band ligation; RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.52 to 1.31), failure of intervention (RR 1.13; 95% CI 0.23 to 5.69), complications (RR 2.81; 95% CI 0.69 to 11.49), and control of bleeding (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.90 to 1.27). There was low quality evidence for the prevention of re-bleeding (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.41 to 0.88). Trial sequential analysis showed that the analyses were underpowered (diversity-adjusted required information size was 5290 participants for bleeding-related mortality).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests that endoscopic sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate may be more effective than endoscopic band ligation in terms of preventing re-bleeding from gastric varices. However, due to the very low quality of the evidence, we are very uncertain about our estimates on all-cause and bleeding-related mortality, failure of intervention, adverse events, and control of bleeding. The trials were at high risk of bias; the number of the included randomised clinical trials and number of participants included in each trial was small; and there was evidence of internal heterogeneity across trials, indirectness of evidence in terms of population, and possible publication bias.The effectiveness of different doses of cyanoacrylate and the comparison of cyanoacrylate versus alcohol compounds to treat variceal bleeding in people with portal hypertension is uncertain due to the very low quality of the evidence.The shortcomings mentioned call for more evidence from larger trials that need to be conducted according to the SPIRIT statement and reported according to CONSORT guidelines.

Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate glue versus other endoscopic procedures for acute bleeding gastric varices in people with portal hypertension

BACKGROUND

In people with portal hypertension, gastric varices are less prevalent than oesophageal varices. The risk of bleeding from gastric varices seems to be lower than from oesophageal varices; however, when gastric varices bleed, it is often severe and associated with higher mortality. Endoscopic sclerotherapy of bleeding gastric varices with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate glue (cyanoacrylate) is considered the best haemostasis with a lower risk of re-bleeding compared with other endoscopic methods. However, there are some inconsistencies between trials regarding mortality, incidence of re-bleeding, and adverse effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate compared with other endoscopic sclerotherapy procedures or with variceal band ligation for treating acute gastric variceal bleeding with or without vasoactive drugs in people with portal hypertension and to assess the best dosage of cyanoacrylate.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded from inception to September 2014 and reference lists of articles. We included trials irrespective of trial setting, language, publication status, or date of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised clinical trials comparing sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate versus other endoscopic methods (sclerotherapy using alcohol-based compounds or endoscopy band ligation) for acute gastric variceal bleeding in people with portal hypertension.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We performed the review following the recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Module.We presented results as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), with I(2) statistic values as a measure of intertrial heterogeneity. We analysed data with both fixed-effect and random-effects models, and reported the results with random-effects models. We performed subgroup, sensitivity, and trial sequential analyses to evaluate the robustness of the overall results, risk of bias, sources of intertrial heterogeneity, and risk of random errors.

MAIN RESULTS

We included six randomised clinical trials with three different comparisons: one trial compared two different doses of cyanoacrylate in 91 adults, bleeding actively from all types of gastric varices; one trial compared cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds in 37 adults with active or acute bleeding from isolated gastric varices only; and four trials compared cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation in 365 adults, with active or acute bleeding from all types of gastric varices. Main outcomes in the included trials were bleeding-related mortality, failure of intervention, re-bleeding, adverse events, and control of bleeding. Follow-up varied from six to 26 months. The participants included in these trials had chronic liver disease of different severities, were predominantly men, and most were from Eastern countries. We judged all trials at high risk of bias. Application of quality criteria for all outcomes yielded very low quality grade of the evidence in the three analyses, except for the low quality evidence rated for the re-bleeding outcome in the cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation comparison. Two different doses of cyanoacrylate: we found very low quality evidence from one trial for the effect of 0.5 mL compared with 1.0 mL of cyanoacrylate on all-cause mortality (20/44 (45.5%) with 0.5 mL versus 21/47 (45%) with 1.0 mL; RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.65 to 1.60), 30-day mortality (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.41 to 2.80), failure of intervention (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.56 to 2.05), prevention of re-bleeding (RR 1.30; 95% CI 0.73 to 2.31), adverse events reported as fever (RR 0.56; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.98), and control of bleeding (RR 1.04; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.38). Cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds: we found very low quality evidence from one trial for the effect of cyanoacrylate versus alcohol-based compounds on 30-day mortality (2/20 (10%) with cyanoacrylate versus 4/17 (23.5%) with alcohol-based compound; RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.09 to 2.04), failure of intervention (RR 0.36; 95% CI 0.09 to 1.35), prevention of re-bleeding (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.30 to 2.45), adverse events reported as fever (RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.80), and control of bleeding (RR 1.79; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.84). Cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation: we found very low quality evidence for the effect of cyanoacrylate versus endoscopic band ligation on bleeding-related mortality (44/185 (23.7%) with cyanoacrylate versus 50/181 (27.6%) with endoscopic band ligation; RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.52 to 1.31), failure of intervention (RR 1.13; 95% CI 0.23 to 5.69), complications (RR 2.81; 95% CI 0.69 to 11.49), and control of bleeding (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.90 to 1.27). There was low quality evidence for the prevention of re-bleeding (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.41 to 0.88). Trial sequential analysis showed that the analyses were underpowered (diversity-adjusted required information size was 5290 participants for bleeding-related mortality).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests that endoscopic sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate may be more effective than endoscopic band ligation in terms of preventing re-bleeding from gastric varices. However, due to the very low quality of the evidence, we are very uncertain about our estimates on all-cause and bleeding-related mortality, failure of intervention, adverse events, and control of bleeding. The trials were at high risk of bias; the number of the included randomised clinical trials and number of participants included in each trial was small; and there was evidence of internal heterogeneity across trials, indirectness of evidence in terms of population, and possible publication bias.The effectiveness of different doses of cyanoacrylate and the comparison of cyanoacrylate versus alcohol compounds to treat variceal bleeding in people with portal hypertension is uncertain due to the very low quality of the evidence.The shortcomings mentioned call for more evidence from larger trials that need to be conducted according to the SPIRIT statement and reported according to CONSORT guidelines.

Anticoagulation in the treatment of portovenous emboli after cyanoacrylate injection for a bleeding gastric varix

We herein report the use of endoscopic n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injections to obliterate a gastric varix, which led to cyanoacrylate embolisation in the splenic and portal veins in a single patient. Cyanoacrylate embolisation is a known but uncommonly reported complication of endoscopic sclerotherapy. This case report illustrates the successful management of this complication (i.e. cyanoacrylate embolisation in the splenic and portal veins) with anticoagulation and analyses the presentation and management of other cases of cyanoacrylate embolisation reported in the literature.

Endoscopic treatment of gastric varices

Gastric varices (GV) are present in one in 5 patients with portal hypertension and variceal bleeding. GV bleeds tend to be more severe with higher mortality. High index of suspicion, early detection and proper locational diagnosis are important. An algorithmic approach to the management of GV bleeding prevents rebleeds and improves survival. Vasoactive drugs should be started with in 30 minutes (door to needle time) and early endotherapy be done. Cyanoacrylate injection in experienced hands achieves hemostasis in >90% patients. A repeat session is sometimes needed for complete obturation of GV. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and balloon retrograde transvenous obliteration are effective rescue options. Secondary prophylaxis of GV bleeding is done with beta-blocker and endotherapy.

Management of gastric varices

According to their location, gastric varices (GV) are classified as gastroesophageal varices and isolated gastric varices. This review will mainly focus on those GV located in the fundus of the stomach (isolated gastric varices 1 and gastroesophageal varices 2). The 1-year risk of GV bleeding has been reported to be around 10%-16%. Size of GV, presence of red signs, and the degree of liver dysfunction are independent predictors of bleeding. Limited data suggest that tissue adhesives, mainly cyanoacrylate (CA), may be effective and better than propranolol in preventing bleeding from GV. General management of acute GV bleeding must be similar to that of esophageal variceal bleeding, including prophylactic antibiotics, a careful replacement of volemia, and early administration of vasoactive drugs. Small sample-sized randomized controlled trials have shown that tissue adhesives are the therapy of choice for acute GV bleeding. In treatment failures, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is considered the treatment of choice. After initial hemostasis, repeated sessions with CA injections along with nonselective beta-blockers are recommended as secondary prophylaxis; whether CA is superior to TIPS in this scenario is not completely clear. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) has been introduced as a new method to treat GV. BRTO is also effective and has the potential benefit of increasing portal hepatic blood flow and therefore may be an alternative for patients who may not tolerate TIPS. However, BRTO obliterates spontaneous portosystemic shunts, potentially aggravating portal hypertension and its related complications. The role of BRTO in the management of acute GV bleeding is promising but merits further evaluation.

The safety and efficacy of gastric fundal variceal obliteration using N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate; the experience of a single canadian tertiary care centre

BACKGROUND/AIM

Bleeding from Gastric Varices (GV) is not only life threatening, but also leads to many hospitalizations, contributes to morbidity and is resource intensive. GV are difficult to diagnose and their treatment can be challenging due to their location and complex structure. To assess the safety and efficacy of endoscopic gastric fundal variceal gluing using periodic endoscopic injections of N-butyl-2-cyanoacylate (NBCA) and to assess the utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in assessing for the eradication of GV post-NBCA treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Analysis of prospectively collected data of a cohort of patients with GV who underwent periodic endoscopic variceal gluing from 2005 to 2011. Outcomes included success of GV obliteration, incidence of rebleeding, complications from the procedure, and analysis of factors that might predict GV rebleeding. The success of GV eradication was assessed by both EUS and direct endoscopy.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 29 consecutive patients that had undergone NBCA injection for GV. The mean age was 60.8 years standard deviations (SD 13.3, range 20-81). The average follow-up was 28 months (SD 19.61, range 1-64) and the most common cause for GV was alcoholic liver cirrhosis (34.48%). A total of 91 sessions of NBCA injections were carried out for 29 patients (average of 3.14 sessions/patient, SD 1.79, range 1-8) with a total of 124 injections applied (average of 4.28 injections/patient, SD 3.09, range 1-13). 24 patients were treated for previously documented GV bleeding while five were treated for primary prevention. Overall, 79% of patients were free of rebleeding once three sessions of histoacryl ® injection were completed. None of the patients treated for primary prevention developed bleeding during follow-up. 11 of the 24 patients (46%) with previous bleeding however had rebleeding. 4/11 (36%) patients had GV rebleeding while awaiting scheduled additional NBCA sessions. 19/29 (60%) patients had complete eradication of GV, 11/19 (58%) documented by endoscopic assessment alone, 4/19 (21%) by EUS alone and 4/19 (21%) by both techniques. Two of the 11 (18%) patients that had rebleeding had recurrence of GV bleeding after documented eradication by EUS compared to 5/11 (45%) patients documented eradication by endoscopic assessment and 2/11 (18%) patients that had rebleeding after documented eradication by both modalities. Twenty five patients in total had documented residual GV by EUS (14, 56%), direct endoscopic assessment (18, 72%) or both modalities (9, 36%), two of which developed recurrent bleeding (13%). No immediate or long-term complications of NBCA injection occurred, nor any related endoscopic complications were reported in any of these cases during the time of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

NBCA injection of GV is a safe and successful therapeutic intervention. A minimum of three endoscopic sessions is required to significantly decrease the risk of bleeding/rebleeding. In this small sample of patients, neither EUS nor direct endoscopic assessment was reliable in predicting the recurrence of GV bleeding.

Band ligation vs. N-Butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection in acute gastric variceal bleeding: a prospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND. Treatment of gastric varices (GV) implies a number of several difficulties and sometimes entails complications. The best endoscopic success rate was attributed until now to the use of tissue adhesives(N-Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate) and band ligation. AIM. To assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety of cyanoacrylate injection compared to band ligation in patients with acute GV hemorrhage. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Thirty-seven patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding from GV were included in the study, treated with cyanoacrylate injection (GVO)-19 patients or band ligations (GVL)-18 patients. They were followed up for overall results, complications and survival rate. RESULTS. The mean age of the study group was 60.22 ± 9.34 years, with a male/female ratio of 21:16. The mean follow-up period was 427.26 ± 214.16 days in the GVO group and 406.21 ± 213.23 days in the GVL group (p = 0.76). Initial hemostasis was achieved in all patients treated with cyanoacrylate and in 88.88% from the GVL group (p = 0.43). Rebleeding occurred in 72.22% of the GVL group and in 31.57% of the GVO patients (p = 0.03). Patients in the GVO group had a significantly larger rebleeding-free period(p = 0.006). No difference was found in survival rates(p = 0.75). The Child Class (p = 0.003 for Class C) and treatment method (p = 0.01) were independently associated with the rate of rebleeding. No differences were found regarding the rate of complications. CONCLUSION. The use of cyanoacrylate in acute GV bleeding had better results when compared with band ligation in terms of controlling the hemorrhage and recurrence of bleeding. The overall survival rate was not influenced by the method used for the treatment of complicated GV.

Three benefits of microcatheters for retrograde transvenous obliteration of gastric varices

AIM: To evaluate the usefulness of the microcatheter techniques in balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of gastric varices.

METHODS: Fifty-six patients with gastric varices underwent BRTOs using microcatheters. A balloon catheter was inserted into gastrorenal or gastrocaval shunts. A microcatheter was navigated close to the varices, and sclerosant was injected into the varices through the microcatheter during balloon occlusion. The next morning, thrombosis of the varices was evaluated by contrast enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT). In patients with incomplete thrombosis of the varices, a second BRTO was performed the following day. Patients were followed up with CE-CT and endoscopy.

RESULTS: In all 56 patients, sclerosant was selectively injected through the microcatheter close to the varices. In 9 patients, microcoil embolization of collateral veins was performed using a microcatheter. In 12 patients with incomplete thrombosis of the varices, additional injection of sclerosant was performed through the microcatheter that remained inserted overnight. Complete thrombosis of the varices was achieved in 51 of 56 patients, and the remaining 5 patients showed incomplete thrombosis of the varices. No recurrence of the varices was found in the successful 51 patients after a median follow up time of 10.5 mo. We experienced one case of liver necrosis, and the other complications were transient.

CONCLUSION: The microcatheter techniques are very effective methods for achieving a higher success rate of BRTO procedures.

Gluing gastric varices in 2012: lessons learnt over 25 years

Bleeding from gastric varices (GV) continues to pose a challenge to the endoscopist and no consensus has been reached on the best way for treating these patients. Gastric variceal obturation (GVO) with the tissue adhesive, N-2-butyl-cyanoacrylate (NBC), is considered the treatment of first-choice for this condition in most parts of the world. The liquid monomer polymerizes into a solid cast, obturating the vessel within 10-20 s of coming in contact with ionic solutions such as blood. Gastric variceal obturation achieves hemostasis in over 90% of patients with active bleeding, eradicates GV in over 80% of these patients, and re-bleeding occurs in 3-30%. These results are comparable with those of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS; over 90% hemostasis in acute bleeding with re-bleeding in 15-30%). Though, there has been no direct comparison with GVO, balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of GV (BRTO) achieves near 100% obliteration with recurrence in 0-10% and is superior to TIPS for hemostasis in active bleeding when used in combination with transcatheter sclerotherapy. Several complications have been described for GVO including thromboembolic complications which occur in 0.5-4.3% and may be devastating in some. Many of the complications and the variability in results of GVO can be attributed to variations in injection technique. The use of a standardized injection technique has been reported to achieve 100% hemostasis and obliteration with 6.9% re-bleeding and no embolic complications. Gastric variceal obturation with NBC continues to be the first-choice therapy for GV bleeding outside Japan. Adherence to a standard injection technique will maximize hemostasis and eradication of GV while minimizing complications of therapy.

Application of endoscopy in improving survival of cirrhotic patients with acute variceal hemorrhage

Playing a central role in the modern multidisciplinary management of acute gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage, endoscopy is essential to stratify patient at risk, control active hemorrhage, and prevent first as well as recurrent bleeding. Before endoscopic procedure, antibiotic prophylaxis along with vasoactive medication is now routine practice. Intravenous erythromycin effectively cleanses stomach and may improve the quality of endoscopy. The timing of endoscopy should be on an urgent basis as delay for more than 15 hours after presentation is associated with mortality. Active variceal bleeding on endoscopy in a patient with hepatic decompensation heralds poor prognosis and mandates consideration of aggressive strategy with early portosystemic shunting. Band ligation has become the preferred modality to control and prevent bleeding from esophageal varices, although occasionally sclerotherapy may still be used to achieve hemostasis. Addition of pharmacotherapy with nonselective beta blockade to endoscopic ligation has become the current standard of care in the setting of secondary prophylaxis but remains controversial with inconsistent data for the purpose of primary prophylaxis. Gastric varices extending from esophagus may be treated like esophageal varices, whereas variceal obliteration by tissue glue is the endoscopic therapy of choice to control and prevent bleeding from fundic and isolated gastric varices.

Clinicopathological features and treatment of ectopic varices with portal hypertension

Bleeding from ectopic varices, which is rare in patients with portal hypertension, is generally massive and life-threatening. Forty-three patients were hospitalized in our ward for gastrointestinal bleeding from ectopic varices. The frequency of ectopic varices was 43/1218 (3.5%) among portal hypertensive patients in our ward. The locations of the ectopic varices were rectal in thirty-two, duodenal in three, intestinal in two, vesical in three, stomal in one, and colonic in two patients. Endoscopic or interventional radiologic treatment was performed successfully for ectopic varices. Hemorrhage from ectopic varices should be kept in mind in patients with portal hypertension presenting with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Long-term outcomes of prophylactic endoscopic histoacryl injection for gastric varices with a high risk of bleeding

PURPOSE

Endoscopic histoacryl injection (EHI) is reported to be an effective treatment modality for bleeding gastric varices (GVs) but controversial as a prophylactic treatment for non-bleeding GVs because efficacy and safety have yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and long-term outcomes of prophylactic EHI for non-bleeding GVs with a high risk of bleeding.

METHODS

Thirty-three patients (23 males/10 females, mean age 56.6 years old) with a high risk of gastric variceal bleeding (large tumorous (27), red color sign (14) or rapidly growing in size (1)) underwent EHI. According to the grade of GVs, 25 patients belonged to F3, seven to F2, and one to F1. In terms of the locations of GVs, four patients belonged to type IGV1, 21 to type GOV2, and eight to type GOV1.

RESULTS

Obliteration of GVs was achieved in all of the treated patients. Twenty-three patients required one session and ten needed more than two sessions to obliterate their GVs. A mean volume of histoacryl used per session was 2.0 ml. Complications related to the procedure included immediate bleeding in two patients and bacteremia in one patient. The mean duration of follow-up was 12.2 months and eradication of GVs was achieved in 21 (95%) of 22 patients who were followed-up more than 3 months. Index GVs recurred in three of 21 patients (14%) and re-bleeding in index GVs after EHI occurred in two of 26 patients (8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Prophylactic EHI can be a promising procedure for eradication of non-bleeding GVs in case with a high risk of bleeding.

Evaluation of therapeutic effects and serious complications following endoscopic obliterative therapy with Histoacryl

Background and aims:

Our aim was to evaluate the utility of endoscopic obliterative therapy with Histoacryl for gastric varices and to investigate the incidence of serious complications.

Methods:

Endoscopic obliterative therapy with Histoacryl was performed on 129 gastric variceal patients. Sixty-five patients had cardiofornical varices, and 64 had fundal varices. Forty-five of 129 patients were emergency cases and the other 84 patients were prophylactic cases. Endoscopic therapy was performed under fluoroscopy using 70% Histoacryl (Histoacryl diluted with 5% Lipiodol).

Results:

Endoscopic hemostasis of gastric varices was successful in 45/45 (100%) emergency cases. The recurrence rate of gastric varices was 17/120 (14.2%) among patients whose variceal eradication was achieved. Additional treatment was successfully performed in all recurrent cases. The incidence of serious complications was 4/129 (3.1%), including two cases of splenic infarction, one case of pulmonary embolism, and one case of an inflammatory tumor of pancreatic tail. The two patients with splenic infarction improved with conservative medical treatment. The patient with pulmonary embolism showed no respiratory symptoms, and died of liver failure. The patient with the pancreatic tumor, which was diagnosed as an inflammatory tumor, was treated surgically.

Conclusions:

Endoscopic obliterative therapy with Histoacryl is a useful and relatively safe method for treatment of bleeding gastric varices. Nonetheless, careful attention must be paid to avoid potentially serious complications.

The safety and probable therapeutic effect of routine use of antibiotics and simultaneously treating bleeding gastric varices by using endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection and concomitant esophageal varices with banding ligation: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Gastroesophageal varices are the most common type of gastric varices. Although endoscopic injection of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate is the current treatment of choice for acute gastric variceal bleeding, whether the concomitant esophageal varices should be ligated simultaneously with the first treatment session is currently not known.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and probable therapeutic effect of simultaneous cyanoacrylate injection for bleeding gastric varices obliteration (GVO) and endoscopic band ligation (EBL) for concomitant esophageal varices in combination with routine antibiotics (simultaneous group), and to compare our results with historical results in which the patients underwent GVO first and then EBL for concomitant esophageal varices (separate group).

DESIGN

A single-center pilot study.

SETTING

A tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Patients with liver cirrhosis and gastroesophageal varices, who presented with acute gastric varices bleeding.

INTERVENTIONS

Simultaneous treatment in the form of GVO and EBL for concomitant esophageal varices in combination with routine antibiotics.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT

Rebleeding and mortality within the first year of index bleeding.

RESULTS

Twenty patients in the simultaneous group and 67 patients in the separate group were included in the study. The 2 groups had similar baseline characteristics. The hemostasis of active bleeding was 100% in both groups (7/7 vs 20/20). The 1-year rebleeding rate was 10% (2/20) in the simultaneous group and 37.31% (25/67) in the separate group (P = .041). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed higher probability of remaining free of rebleeding in the simultaneous group (88.5% vs 61.1%; P = .044). Multivariate analysis indicated that treatment method (separate group) and high model for end-stage liver disease score (> or = 13) were independent risk factors of rebleeding in 1 year. The treatment failure, complications, 1-year mortality, and survival were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Simultaneous endoscopic treatment for gastric varices bleeding and concomitant esophageal varices is a safe and effective procedure in combination with antibiotic prophylaxis for patients with cirrhosis. The 1-year mortality rate was similar between the 2 groups. The results need further validation.

Endoscopic therapy for gastric varices

Bleeding from gastric varices (GVs) is generally more severe than bleeding from esophageal varices (EVs), but is thought to occur less frequently. Although several recent developments in the agents and the techniques have improved the outcome of GV bleeds no consensus has been reached on the optimum treatment. Because the blood flow in the GVs is relatively large and the bleeding is rapid and often profuse endoscopic means of treating bleeding GVs are the treatments of choice. Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate glue is the treatment of choice for the control of active bleeding of gastric avarices and to prevent rebleeding. This article reviews the current endoscopic treatment modalities used in gastric variceal bleeding, and the primary and secondary prophylaxis of gastric variceal bleeding.

Endoscopic cyanoacrylate versus transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for gastric variceal bleeding: a single-center U.S. analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Gastric variceal hemorrhage treatment remains a difficult issue for clinicians. There is controversy regarding whether first-line treatment should be endoscopic therapy with cyanoacrylate glue or placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). We compared these methods on the basis of rebleeding, survival, and complications. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS, AND INTERVENTIONS: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of cirrhotic patients with gastric variceal hemorrhage treated with endoscopic cyanoacrylate therapy or TIPS placement at a single U.S. center from 1997 to 2007. The groups were compared for rebleeding at 72 hours, 3 months, and 1 year; survival rates at 3 months and 1 year; and acute and extended complications and morbidity.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

A total of 105 patients were included. There were no significant pretreatment differences between the 2 groups in age, sex, MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) score at the time of admission, or cause of liver disease. There were no significant differences in rebleeding at 72 hours, 3 months, and 1 year; survival at 3 months and 1 year; and aggregate long-term survival or acute complications. However, the TIPS group had a higher rate of long-term morbidity requiring hospitalization (41% with a TIPS and 1.6% in the cyanoacrylate arm, P < .0001).

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective and uncontrolled samples.

CONCLUSION

In patients with similar characteristics, cyanoacrylate therapy performed as well as a TIPS in controlling and preventing gastric variceal hemorrhage with no significant differences in survival. Patients receiving cyanoacrylate therapy experienced significantly less long-term morbidity related to therapy than patients who received a TIPS. Cyanoacrylate therapy appears to be safe and effective and compares favorably with TIPS therapy.

Analysis of prognostic factors in patients with gastric varices after endoscopic treatment

BACKGROUND

The prognostic factors, including gastric variceal bleeding itself, in patients with gastric varices (GV) after endoscopic treatment remain unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors in patients with GV after endoscopic treatment as well as to evaluate safety and efficacy of our endoscopic treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study enrolled 115 patients who underwent endoscopic treatment for GV between October 1988 and December 2003 using cyanoacrylate and 5% ethanolamine oleate. Successful hemostasis, recurrence rates, rebleeding rates, survival rates, complications and prognostic factors after the treatment were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Treatment sessions for GV were performed 3.4 +/- 2.5 times. All cases, including 14 emergency cases, were treated successfully. The cumulative recurrence rates at 1, 3 and 5 years after the treatment were 7.0%, 15.6% and 20.0%, respectively, and the cumulative rebleeding rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 3.5%, 8.7% and 14.8%, respectively. The overall survival rates were 78.3%, 63.7% and 51.5% at 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively. Grade B or C in Child-Pugh classification, emergency or elective cases, and association with hepatocellular carcinoma were identified as significant negative prognostic factors after endoscopic treatment by multivariate analysis. Although several complications were observed, there was no mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Grade B or C in Child-Pugh classification, emergency or elective situation, and association with hepatocellular carcinoma are negative prognostic factors after endoscopic treatment.

Endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal varices in young infants with cyanoacrylate glue: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

In children, endoscopic sclerotherapy and variceal ligation (EVL) are the most used techniques for the treatment of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding (VB). However, these techniques achieve poor results in cases of gastric variceal bleeding, and EVL is not applicable in young infants.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of cyanoacrylate glue injection for the treatment of gastroesophageal varices in young infants.

DESIGN

Single-center prospective study.

PATIENTS

From 2001 to 2005, 8 young infants (<or=2 years old, <or=10 kg) with portal hypertension and gastroesophageal varices underwent treatment with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Demographic data and the results were registered and analyzed at 1, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

RESULTS

The mean age and weight were 1.3 +/- 0.42 years (range 0.8 to 1.9 years) and 8.5 +/- 1.6 kg (range 5.5 to 10 kg). Glue injection was successfully performed in all infants. The mean volume injected was 1.15 +/- 0.62 mL (range 0.5 to 2 mL). Immediate control of bleeding was achieved in all cases. Ulcer bleeding as a complication was observed in 1 case. Varices relapse with bleeding was observed in 3 of 8 (37.5%) patients after a mean of 12.5 +/- 10.6 weeks (range 5 to 20 weeks). Patients with variceal rebleeding were retreated. Varices eradication was achieved in all cases after a mean of 1.4 +/- 0.52 sessions (range 1 to 2 sessions).

LIMITATIONS

Open prospective series with a relatively small number of patients.

CONCLUSION

In young infants, the use of cyanoacrylate glue is safe and effective for the treatment of gastroesophageal VB.

Percutaneous transportal sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for gastric varices: technique and clinical efficacy

Objective

This study was deigned to evaluate the technique and clinical efficacy of the use of percutaneous transportal sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) for patients with gastric varices.

Materials and Methods

Seven patients were treated by transportal sclerotherapy with the use of NBCA. For transportal sclerotherapy, portal vein catheterization was performed with a 6-Fr sheath by the transhepatic approach. A 5-Fr catheter was introduced into the afferent gastric vein and a microcatheter was advanced through the 5-Fr catheter into the varices. NBCA was injected through the microcatheter in the varices by use of the continuous single-column injection technique. After the procedure, postcontrast computed tomography (CT) was performed on the next day and then every six months. Gastroendoscopy was performed at one week, three months, and then every six months after the procedure.

Results

The technical success rate of the procedure was 88%. In six patients, gastric varices were successfully obliterated with 1-8 mL (mean, 5.4 mL) of a NBCA-Lipiodol mixture injected via a microcatheter. No complications related to the procedure were encountered. As seen on the follow-up endoscopy and CT imaging performed after six months, the presence of gastric varcies was not seen in any of the patients after treatment with the NBCA-Lipiodol mixture and the use of microcoils. Recurrence of gastric varices was not observed during the follow-up period. Worsening of esophageal varices occurred in four patients after transportal sclerotherapy. The serum albumin level increased, the ammonia level decreased and the prothrombin time increased at six months after the procedure (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Percutaneous transportal sclerotherapy with NBCA is useful to obliterate gastric varices if it is not possible to perform balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration.

The therapeutic effect of cyanoacrylate on gastric variceal bleeding and factors related to clinical outcome

BACKGROUND

Cyanoacrylate has been recommended for the treatment of gastric variceal bleeding.

GOAL

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cyanoacrylate injection therapy in patients with gastric variceal bleeding, and to identify the factors predictive of failure, rebleeding, and survival after therapy.

STUDY

One hundred twenty-one patients with gastric variceal bleeding who received cyanoacrylate injections were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Treatment succeeded in 110 patients (90.9%). Rebleeding and mortality rate during 4-week were 13.2% and 11.6%. A stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that only the Child-Pugh class was an independent predictive factor of treatment failure [Child-Pugh C vs. Child-Pugh A and B, odds ratio (OR), 5.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-19.4; P=0.025]. The actuarial probability of a 4-week absence of rebleeding and survival after the initial therapy was 86.8% and 85.1%, respectively. A stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that a Child-Pugh class C and hepatocellular carcinoma were independent predictive factors for rebleeding (OR, 7.4; 95% CI, 2.0-27.0; P=0.003 and OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.0-11.1; P=0.05, respectively) and mortality (OR, 7.4; 95% CI, 2.0-27.0; P=0.003 and OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.0-11.1; P=0.05, respectively). Only 2 cases (2.7%) with serious complications, noted as cyanoacrylate embolisms, were observed. At 1-year follow up, the actuarial probability of remaining free of bleeding was 49.0% and hepatitis B virus infection was independent predictive factor of bleeding (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4-20.0; P=0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

In short-term follow-up, cyanoacrylate injection is an effective treatment method for gastric variceal bleeding and the Child-Pugh class was only independent predictive factor of treatment failure and the Child-Pugh class and the hepatocellular carcinoma were risk factors for rebleeding and survival. In long-term follow-up, the presence of hepatitis B infection was risk factor for rebleeding.

A standardized injection technique and regimen ensures success and safety of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection for the treatment of gastric fundal varices (with videos)

BACKGROUND

N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate has been successfully used for the treatment of bleeding from gastric fundal varices (FV). However, significant rebleeding rates and serious complications including embolism have been reported.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to analyze the safety and efficacy of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for FV bleeding by using a standardized injection technique and regimen.

DESIGN

Retrospective.

SETTING

Two tertiary referral centers.

PATIENTS

A total of 131 patients (91 men/40 women) with FV underwent obliteration with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate by a standardized technique and regimen.

INTERVENTIONS

(1) Dilution of 0.5 mL of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate with 0.8 mL of Lipiodol, (2) limiting the volume of mixture to 1.0 mL per injection to minimize the risk of embolism, (3) repeating intravariceal injections of 1.0 mL each until hemostasis was achieved, (4) obliteration of all tributaries of the FV, (5) repeat endoscopy 4 days after the initial treatment to confirm complete obliteration of all visible varices and repeat N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection if necessary to accomplish complete obliteration.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Immediate hemostasis rate, early rebleeding rate, bleeding-related mortality rate, procedure-related complications, long-term cumulative rebleeding-free rate, and cumulative survival rate.

RESULTS

Initial hemostasis and variceal obliteration were achieved in all patients. The mean number of sessions was 1 (range 1-3). The mean total volume of glue mixture used was 4.0 mL (range 1-13 mL). There was no occurrence of early FV rebleeding, procedure-related complications, or bleeding-related death. The cumulative rebleeding-free rate at 1, 3, and 5 years was 94.5%, 89.3%, and 82.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Obliteration of bleeding FV with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate is safe and effective with use of a standardized injection technique and regimen.

Avoiding pitfalls: what an endoscopist should know in liver transplantation--part 1

Cirrhosis is associated with global homodynamic changes, but the majority of the complications are usually manifested through the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has become an important tool in the multidisciplinary approach in the management of these patients. With the ever growing number of cirrhotic patients requiring pre-transplant endoscopic management, it is imperative that the community endoscopists are well aware of the pathologies that can be potentially noted on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Their timely management is also considered to have the utmost importance in being able to stabilize the patient until their transfer to a Liver Transplant Center. The aim of this manuscript is to give a comprehensive update and review of various endoscopic findings that a non-transplant endoscopist will encounter in the pre-transplant setting.

Portal hypertension and variceal hemorrhage

Portal hypertension, a major hallmark of cirrhosis, is defined as a portal pressure gradient exceeding 5 mm Hg. In portal hypertension, porto-systemic collaterals decompress the portal circulation and give rise to varices. Successful management of portal hypertension and its complications requires knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology, the pertinent anatomy, and the natural history of the collateral circulation, particularly the gastroesophageal varices.

Long-term outcomes of acute gastric variceal bleeding in 48 patients following treatment with cyanoacrylate

OBJECTIVES

(1) Study the effectiveness of intravariceal injection of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate to treat acute gastric variceal (GV) bleeding and (2) study the impact of the type of GV and hepatic function on endoscopic hemostasis and mortality outcomes.

METHODS

Fourty-eight patients with acute GV bleeding underwent intravariceal injection of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate and were followed until death or study conclusion (12-52 months).

RESULTS

Primary hemostasis (no re-bleeding within 48 h) was accomplished in 42 patients (87.5%). Appearance of the bleeding site at the time of initial endoscopy, grade of cirrhosis and location of GV were not significant predictors of immediate hemostasis. Early re-bleeding (48 h to 6 weeks) occurred in 20.5% of patients and late re-bleeding (beyond 6 weeks) in 20.5% of patients. While the Child-Pugh score was predictive of re-bleeding and mortality, the type of GV and stigmata at initial endoscopy were not significant predictors of re-bleeding and mortality. Over a mean follow-up of 18 months, mortality rates were 43.9% and bleeding was the commonest cause of death.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic injection of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate is effective and safe for treating bleeding GV. Patients with poor hepatic function are at higher risk of re-bleeding and death after acute gastric variceal bleed.

Enbucrilate for gastric varices: extended experience in 92 patients

AIM

We assessed N-2-butyl-cyanoacrylate (enbucrilate) in 92 patients with gastric variceal bleeding under an FDA-approved investigation. These results extend our prior report of the first 44 patients.

METHOD

Injection was performed with enbucrilate and ethiodol (1:1). Eighty patients had portal hypertension and 12 had splenic vein thrombosis.

RESULTS

In the portal hypertensive group, re-bleeding from gastric varices was seen in 4 of 80 (5%) from 0 to 72 h, 5 of 76 (6.5%) from > 72 h to 3 months and 9 of 51 (17%) from > 3 months to 1 year. Re-bleeding and survival were significantly related to the Child-Pugh class. In the splenic vein thrombosis group (n = 12), there was early rebleeding in 2 (17%) patients from 0 to 72 h, 1 (8%) from > 72 h to 3 months and none in the chronic phase (> 3 months to 1 year) although 1-year survival in this group was only 6 (50%) due to the underlying malignancy in most. Serious embolization was suspected in 2 patients (2%).

CONCLUSION

Enbucrilate offers an important intervention in gastric variceal bleeding which should be further studied in the US. A randomized trial is warranted to compare this intervention to radiological therapy.

Eosinophilic pleural effusion after gastric variceal obliteration with cyanoacrylate

Pleuropulmonary complications after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for treatment of esophagogastric varices are not uncommon but are usually mild and self-limited. Herein we report a male patient with liver cirrhosis who underwent endoscopic injection sclerotherapy, using a mixture of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate and ethiodized oil for obliteration of gastric varices. After the procedure, he developed moderate amount of left pleural effusion that persisted for a period of time and required thoracentesis and medical treatment. We believed that the inadvertent retrograde reflux of the embolized glue and ethiodized oil via the portosystemic venous collateral into the left pleura might be the possible mechanism for the development of left pleural effusion as the droplets of ethiodized oil were seen along the left pleura on the imaging studies.

Acute variceal hemorrhage

Variceal bleeding is a frequent and life-threatening complication of portal hypertension. The first episode of variceal bleeding is associated not only with a high mortality, but also with a high recurrence rate in those who survive. Therefore, management should focus on different therapeutic strategies aiming to prevent the first episode of variceal bleeding (primary prophylaxis), to control hemorrhage during the acute bleeding episode (emergency treatment), and to prevent rebleeding (secondary prophylaxis). These strategies involve pharmacological, endoscopic, surgical, and interventional radiological modalities. This article reviews management of acute variceal bleeding.

Review article: recent advances in the management of bleeding gastric varices

Gastric variceal bleeding can be challenging to the clinician. Tissue adhesives can control acute bleeding in over 80%, with rebleeding rates of 20-30%, and should be first-line therapy where available. Endoscopic ultrasound can assist in better eradication of varices. The potential risks of damage to equipment and embolic phenomena can be minimized with careful attention to technique. Variceal band ligation is an alternative to tissue adhesives for the management of acute bleeding, but not for secondary prevention due to a higher rate of rebleeding. Endoscopic therapy with human thrombin appears promising, with initial haemostasis rates typically over 90%. The lack of controlled studies for thrombin prevents universal recommendation outside of clinical trials. Balloon occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration is a recent technique for patients with gastrorenal shunts, although its use is limited to clinical trials. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt is an option for refractory bleeding and secondary prophylaxis, with uncontrolled studies demonstrating initial haemostasis obtained in over 90%, and rebleeding rates of 15-30%. Non-cardioselective beta-blockers are an alternative to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt for secondary prophylaxis, although the evidence is limited. Shunt surgery should be considered in well-compensated patients. Splenectomy or embolization is an option in patients with segmental portal hypertension.

Radiopaque pulmonary arteries on chest radiography

We report a case of a 58-year-old male with cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding who developed multiple lipiodol pulmonary emboli after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for gastric variceal bleeding. The patient did not have any respiratory symptoms after the sclerotherapy. A chest radiograph, obtained 1 day after the procedure for the evaluation of fever, demonstrated multiple tubular radiopacities in both hilar regions. CT confirmed the existence of multiple radiopaque emboli within the main pulmonary arteries, a small pleural effusion, and no evidence of associated pulmonary parenchymal changes. The patient had no further symptoms, and the radiologic opacities persisted on radiographs obtained 3 months later.

Pulmonary embolization of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate after endoscopic injection therapy for gastric variceal bleeding

N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, a tissue adhesive that polymerizes on contact with weak bases such as blood, is being used widely outside the United States to obliterate gastric varices. Embolization of this material can occur via portosystemic shunts. We report a case of pulmonary embolization of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (an analogue of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) that occurred after endoscopic injection therapy for gastric variceal bleeding. Cyanoacrylate embolism is difficult to diagnose with computed tomographic angiography because radiopaque emboli are masked by the contrast material. It is important to distinguish these emboli from conventional thromboemboli because "glue emboli" require only symptomatic treatment. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for embolism in the setting of tachycardia, chest pain, or hypoxia after a patient undergoes endoscopic injection therapy with cyanoacrylate glue for gastric variceal bleeding. The radiologist should be alerted so that the appropriate radiographic settings are used to make the diagnosis.

Transportal intravariceal sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for gastric varices

Four patients with gastric varices without catheterizable draining veins through a systemic vein were treated with transportal intravariceal sclerotherapy with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA). In all patients, the gastric varices were successfully obliterated with 2-5 mL of NBCA-lipiodol mixture injected via a microcatheter introduced into the varices with transhepatic or transileocolic portal venous access. No complications related to the procedure were encountered. Follow-up gastroendoscopy showed disappearance (n = 3) or marked decrease (n = 1) of the varices. Neither recurrent gastric varices nor variceal bleeding were observed during the follow-up period (6-46 months). Transportal intravariceal sclerotherapy is useful for obliteration of gastric varices in selected cases.

A pilot study of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate injection for treatment of gastric fundal varices in humans

BACKGROUND

N-butyl cyanoacrylate injection has been shown to be effective and safe for the endoscopic treatment of gastric varices. N-butyl cyanoacrylate is not available in the United States, but use of a similar agent, 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, recently was approved for skin closure. This pilot study prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate injection for treatment of gastric fundal varices.

METHODS

Twenty-five patients with large gastric fundal varices with either stigmata of recent hemorrhage, a history of bleeding, or high-risk varices underwent intravariceal injection of undiluted 2-octyl cyanoacrylate. The end points for this study were cessation of active bleeding, successful obliteration of visible varices, and prevention of bleeding.

RESULTS

Within 2 weeks of treatment, 52% of patients had a history of significant variceal bleeding, and 12% had active gastric variceal bleeding at the time of injection. The rate of immediate hemostasis was 100%. Gastric variceal bleeding recurred in 4% of patients (mean follow-up 11 months). The overall mortality rate was 12%; the bleeding-related mortality rate was 4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Injection of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate appears to be efficacious and safe for both prevention and control of gastric variceal hemorrhage. Larger studies are required to further establish the use of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for treatment of gastric fundal varices.