Evaluation of endoscopic variceal ligation in prophylactic therapy for bleeding of oesophageal varices: a prospective, controlled trial compared with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in prophylactic therapy for oesophageal varices, we performed a randomized prospective trial to compare the recurrence of oesophageal varices treated by EVL with those treated by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy. METHODS: Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups at random, after informed consents were obtained, to receive prophylactic therapy for bleeding of oesophageal varices. Group 1 patients underwent sessions of sclerotherapy with 5% ethanolamine oleate used as the sclerosant. Group 2 patients underwent EVL followed by one or two sessions of sclerotherapy. RESULTS: During the 18 month follow-up period, both the recurrence rate in group 2 (56%) and the incidence of bleeding (20%) were significantly higher compared with group 1 (recurrence rate 16%, bleeding 0%). CONCLUSIONS: This result indicates that EVL is not effective for prophylactic therapy for oesophageal varices in liver cirrhosis.     

Intraepithelial cells with irregular nuclear contours as a marker of esophagitis in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease

The diagnostic usefulness of intraepithelial cells with irregular nuclear contours (CINC) (squiggle cells) in esophageal endoscopic biopsies was investigated in 76 children (range age: 6 months-12 years) with gastroesophageal reflux disease. A further 20 subjects (range age: 10 months-11 years) served as controls. Based on the microscopic changes of the esophagus, according to traditional histological criteria, four groups of patients were identified: esophagitis was severe in 27, moderate in 20, mild in 21, and 8 patients had no clear-cut evidence of microscopic esophagitis. Data are given as mean±sd. Intraepithelial CINC had an immunohistochemical profile consistent with T lymphocytes. Patients with severe esophagitis had a CINC density (number per high-power field) (9.0±3.5) significantly higher than patients with mild esophagitis (7.0±3.0) and those without evidence of microscopic esophagitis (6.5±1.9) (P<0.05), but not different from those with moderate esophagitis (8.0±3.6); in all patient groups the CINC density was higher than in controls (2.2±0.3) (P<0.01). The percentage of reflux at 24-hr intraesophageal pH monitoring was higher in severe esophagitis patients (11.4±6.0) as compared to the other groups (moderate: 7.8±6.3; mild: 6.5±3.6; no microscopic esophagitis: 6.3±2.0;P<0.05). There was no correlation between CINC density and the amount of intraesophageal acid exposure in all patients. Furthermore, 27 of our patients had a normal intraesophageal acid exposure at the prolonged pH test (24-hr % of reflux 4.5): the CINC density was significantly higher in them than in the controls. We conclude that intraepithelial CINC in esophageal endoscopic biopsies from children with reflux disease represent a sensitive and early criterion of esophageal mucosa damage; they should be scanned in addition to the traditional histological parameters of acid-related esophageal inflammation.Presented in an abstract form at the 28th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Jerusalem, May 28–June 1, 1995.     

食管静脉曲张破裂出血危险因素的超声分析

目的 探讨食管静脉曲张(EV)破裂出血的独立危险因素.方法 69例乙肝肝硬化患者分为出血组(31例)和非出血组(38例),采用超声测量门静脉内径和血流速度、脾静脉内径(Dsv)和血流速度、脾厚径和脾长径、胃左静脉内径(DLGv)和血流方向.将是否发生EV出血作为因变量,上述超声参数作为自变量,用Logistic回归分析筛选出EV出血的独立危险因素,用卡方检验比较两组DLGv＞5.95 mm和Dsv＞10.55 mm的发生率.结果 Logistic回归分析显示,DLGv和Dsv是EV出血的独立危险因素优势比(OR)=0.458,P＜0.01、OR=1.425(P＜0.05).出血组DLGv＞5.95 mm者占83.9％,高于非出血组28.9％(P＜0.01);出血组Dsv＞10.55 mm者占74.2％,高于非出血组的28.9％(P＜0.01).结论 DLGv和Dsv是EV出血的独立危险因素.     

FibroScan技术与乙肝肝硬化患者食管静脉曲张程度的相关性分析

目的：探讨瞬时弹性成像(FibroScan)与乙型肝炎(乙肝)肝硬化患者食管静脉曲张程度的相关性,以评价FibroScan对乙肝肝硬化患者食管静脉曲张程度的诊断价值。方法231例行胃镜检查的乙型肝炎肝硬化患者,应用FibroScan检测肝硬度值(LSM)得出轻、中、重度食管静脉曲张分别为119、31、81例,分别作为轻、中、重度食管静脉曲张组,同时检测相关生化指标。结果轻、中、重度食管静脉曲张患者的LSM平均值分别是(17.04±11.73)kPa、(22.63±18.70)kPa、(29.20±19.14)kPa。三组间比较差异有统计学意义(F=14.52, P<0.01);组间两两比较,轻、重度食管静脉曲张患者差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论 FibroScan检测可以用来判断乙型肝炎肝硬化患者食管静脉曲张程度,值得临床推广应用。     

Obstructive sleep apnoea and nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux are common in lung transplant patients

Background and objective: Gastroesophageal reflux (GOR) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), possibly due to pulmonary aspiration of refluxed acid. Risk of aspiration of gastric contents is increased during sleep due to decreased oesophageal clearance mechanisms and may be further increased by the presence of OSA. This study investigated the relationship between nocturnal GOR, OSA and BOS in a group of lung transplant patients. Methods: Fourteen lung transplant patients underwent overnight polysomnography with simultaneous dual oesophageal pH monitoring. Results: Patients had an FEV₁ of 84 ± 15% of their best post-transplant FEV₁. Six of the 14 patients were in various stages of BOS. The average proportion of time spent overnight with a pH of <4 was 1.7 ± 3.1%. Increased GOR was evident in 8/14 patients during the postprandial period and/or overnight in the distal and/or proximal oesophagus. All patients had OSA (AHI >5 events per hour). There were no relationships between severity of OSA or GOR and severity of BOS. Conclusion: Both nocturnal GOR and OSA were common in this group of patients but their occurrences were not related. Neither was there any relationship between the presence of nocturnal GOR or OSA and severity of BOS.     

Rabeprazole improves health-related quality of life in patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of rabeprazole 20 mg once a day on patient-reported health-related quality of life in routine clinical practice. Patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease participating in an open-label, 8-week study completed the SF-36 Health Survey before and after treatment with rabeprazole. For all SF-36 scales, there was a statistically significant (p 0.007) improvement in mean scores from baseline to week 8. Improvements in each of the subscales, except for physical functioning, general health, and mental health, were at least 5% in magnitude, a level considered clinically meaningful. Furthermore, while baseline scores were significantly poorer than general United States population scores, follow-up scores for four of the subscales (role limitations due to physical problems, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health) were comparable to general population scores. In conclusion, rabeprazole significantly improved health-related quality of life in erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease patients and restored social functioning and emotional well-being to levels comparable to those observed in the United States general population.     

Long-term follow up of esophageal varices after balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration for gastric varices.

Aim: Because the procedure of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) causes extensive thrombosis of the major shunt that connects the spleen and gastric/renal venous systems, an increase in portal pressure is unavoidable. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term outcome of B-RTO, including changes in esophageal varices. Methods: B-RTO was conducted in 22 patients with gastric varices, who were divided according to the severity of esophageal varices at baseline; there were no esophageal varices (n = 7), F(1) varices (n = 11), and F(2) varices (n = 4). The outcome measures included the development/worsening of esophageal varices after B-RTO and survival rates. Results: The cumulative bleeding-free probability for all 22 patients at 3 years after B-RTO was 100%. The overall 3-year survival was 94.4%. Seven patients who had no esophageal varices prior to B-RTO did not develop any after the procedure. Seven (63.6%) of the 11 patients with stage F(1) esophageal varices prior to B-RTO showed no changes in the varices after B-RTO, while two patients progressed to F(2) varices and two developed F(3) varices. The cumulative treatment-free probability of the esophageal varices at 24 months after B-RTO was 100% for patients without esophageal varices at baseline, 80.8% for patients with pre-existing F(1) varices, and 75% for those with pre-existing F(2) varices. Conclusion: Although the B-RTO procedure is considered useful for the treatment of gastric varices, changes in hemodynamics due to obliteration of this major shunt must be taken into account and observed closely.     

部分脾栓塞缓解门脉高压脾亢及胃底食管静脉曲张

目的 探讨部分脾动脉栓塞对缓解门脉高压并脾亢及胃底食管静脉曲张的临床疗效。方法 采用Seldinger技术经股动脉穿刺插管，超选择性脾动脉栓塞治疗肝硬化门脉高压并脾亢及胃底食管静脉曲张46例。观察治疗前后门脉压力，血液白细胞、血小板计数，肝功能及胃底食管静脉曲张的变化情况，判断其治疗效果。结果 栓塞范围为40％～90％，术后患者门脉压力明显降低，肝功能GPT下降，外周血象明显改善，血液白细胞和血小板计数升高，胃底食管静脉曲张得到缓解，上消化道再出血间期延长。无严重的并发症发生。结论 部分脾栓塞治疗肝硬化门脉高压并脾功能亢进是一种安全、有效的方法。既可以降低门脉压力，又可以减轻脾功能亢进，缓解胃底食管静脉曲张。