title: Endoscopic evaluation of the therapeutic effect of sclerotherapy for esophageal varices.
abstract: The rebleeding rate after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was studied in 237 patients with esophageal varices, and the optimal outcome of treatment was determined. Two new categories, RC(2-) and F0, were added to the classification scheme of endoscopic findings of varices in Japan. RC(2-) represents a state in which no veins, not even small vessels, are observed by endoscopy after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy, and F0 represents a state in which no localized venous dilations in the esophagus exist. The criteria for defining the other categories were not altered, and the R-C sign was expressed as RC(2-), RC(-), or RC(+); the degree of dilation was classified as F0 to F3. By combining the R-C sign and the F number, endoscopic findings were classified 1 to 4 weeks after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy into groups designated RC(2-)F0, RC(-)F0, RC(-)F1, and RC(+)F1-RC(+)F2. The four groups were observed to determine the incidence of esophageal stricture and rebleeding. In the RC(2-)F0 group, the incidence of stricture was high, but the rebleeding rate was low. In the RC(-)F0 group, both the incidence of stricture and rebleeding rate were low. We conclude that the optimal outcome of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy is RC(-)F0.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Umegaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohshiba
mesh_terms: D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D015911:Sclerotherapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome