Abstract
A clinical study was done to examine effectiveness and safety of sclerotherapy with low doses of 5% ethanolamine oleate. One hundred and seventy series of EIS were performed in 120 cases with cirrhosis for esophageal varices from December, 1980 through April 1988. Sclerosant, EO, was injected intravariceally. Among 118 series in which varices were eliminated by EIS, 91 secies were treated with low doses of EO, less than 5ml of EO per varix and less than 20ml per EIS (low-dose group), and 27 series with higher dose of EO (high-dose group). Recurrence rate of varices after EIS treatment in low dose group was 31% after one year and 53% after two years. There was no significant difference in recurrence between low-dose and high-dose groups. EIS with low dose was done for ruptured varices in 41 patients and satisfactory hemostasis was obtained in 92.7%. Complications were significantlyless and slighter in the low group. In conclusion, the low dose injection method of EIS for esophageal varices is more effective and safer than the high dose method.
