title: Rupture of rectal varices treated with endoscopic variceal ligation.
abstract: We report here 3 cases of rectal varices treated with endoscopic variceal ligation and discuss the pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis of rectal varices with referring to previous reports. Of the 3 patients, 2 had been diagnosed as liver cirrhosis and 1 as extrahepatic portal hypertension. All of the 3 patients had previously undergone treatment of esophagogastric varices. The rupture of rectal varices appeared to have some relationship with the treatment of esophageal varices. In previous reports, 73% of patients with ruptured rectal varices treated with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy or endoscopic variceal ligation had undergone treatments of esophageal varices. The endoscopic treatments resulted in a favorable prognosis in 2 patients. Although no fatality from endoscopic injection sclerotherapy or endoscopic variceal ligation has been reported, 1 of the present 3 cases died of liver failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. sankara@qf6.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aihara
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinouchi
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiwatashi
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimosegawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004724:Endoscopy; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications; D008026:Ligation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D012007:Rectum / Q000098:blood supply*; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*