Endoscopic management of gastric varices: efficacy and outcomes of gluing with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate in a North American patient population.
BACKGROUND
Gastric variceal bleeding is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in patients with portal hypertension. Outside of North America, gastric variceal injection of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate has been shown to be safe and effective. The majority of studies on this mode of therapy are in Asian populations in which the etiology of portal hypertension differs from North America.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety and efficacy of gastric variceal glue injection in a North American population.


METHODS
Consecutive patients that underwent glue injection of gastric varices in the Calgary Health Region from 2001 to 2006 were assessed.


RESULTS
Thirty-four patients (19 men, 15 women) underwent a total of 47 separate gluing procedures. Of those presenting with active bleeding at endoscopy, immediate hemostasis was achieved in 93.8% of patients. Rebleeding within 48 h of gluing was observed after four procedures. Gastric varices were eradicated in 84.0% of cases. Complications included superior mesenteric vein thrombosis in one patient. Twenty-eight (82.4%) patients were alive at the end of follow-up. The treatment failure-related mortality rate was 2.1%.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study is one of the few to assess the role of gastric variceal gluing in a North American population. Glue injection with cyanoacrylate is safe and effective in the treatment of bleeding gastric varices.
Belletrutti
P J
PJ
Gastrointestinal and Mucosal Inflammation Research Groups Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Romagnuolo
J
J
Hilsden
R J
RJ
Chen
F
F
Kaplan
B
B
Love
J
J
Beck
P L
PL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D004659:Enbucrilate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016558:Hemostasis, Endoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population
D004659:Enbucrilate