Prophylactic endoscopic sclerotherapy of esophageal varices in liver cirrhosis--long-term follow-up and final results of a multicenter prospective controlled randomized trial in Vienna.
This study reports the final results of a randomized multicenter trial on prophylactic endoscopic sclerotherapy of large esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis. Forty-one patients received prophylactic treatment and 41 patients were in the control group. A first analysis 3 years after beginning the study revealed no significant difference in the distribution of the bleeding free intervals between both groups, but indicated a tendency towards longer survival of patients with prophylactic sclerotherapy. The follow-up of patients was continued for an additional 3 years. After this time, 53.7% of patients in the sclerotherapy group and 39.1% of patients in the control group were still alive. During the study period of 6 years, variceal bleeding was observed in 31.7% of patients in the sclerotherapy group and in 36.6% of patients in the control group. Neither survival nor incidence of bleeding were statistically different between the two groups. The etiology of cirrhosis did not influence the survival.
Pötzi
R
R
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Vienna, Austria.
Bauer
P
P
Schöfl
R
R
Reichel
W
W
Kerstan
E
E
Renner
F
F
Gangl
A
A
D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015911:Sclerotherapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols