Abstract
Endoscopic hemostasis by pure ethanol injection has been shown to be an efficient hemostatic method and is widely used. In the present study, we evaluated the complications of pure ethanol injection method on 127 hemorrhagic gastric ulcer patients treated by the method. Results were as follows ; 1) Ulcers were enlarged following pure ethanol injection in eight cases. Of these, seven ulcers in the body were enlarged along the long axis of the stomach, oral or aborad direction originating from the primary ulcers. One ulcer at the angle was enlarged in the direction perpendicular to the long axis of the stomach. 2) In two patients, the extended area of gastric mucosa turned dark blue immediately after ethanol injection, supposed to be due to gastric mucosal ischemia. 3) In one patient with a prepyloric gastric ulcer, the ulcer was deepened following pure ethanol injection, and the endoscopic examination two months later disclosed the double pylorus. To prevent the complications of pure ethanol injection method, ethanol should not be injected too deeply, and the amount of ethanol injected should be limited as little as possible.
