Comparative Trial of Three Different Schedules for Endoscopic Esophageal Variceal Sclerotherapy

We analyzed our experience in 125 patients with variceal bleeding to compare the efficacy and complications of various schedules of endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy. The schedules for the first three injections were as follows: (A) 3-5 ml of aqueous phenol injected at intervals of three weeks (Group I, n = 28), one week (Group II, n = 30) and three days (Group IIIa, n = 33), and (B) 2-3 ml of phenol at each site at intervals of 3 days (Group IIIb, n = 34). Subsequent injections were given at four week intervals for all groups. Varices could be obliterated significantly earlier (p less than 0.001) in patients injected at 3-day intervals (mean +/- SD 9.12 +/- 5.95 weeks) as compared with those injected at 1-week (13.50 +/- 10.28 weeks) and 3-week (20.55 +/- 7.77 weeks) intervals. The rebleeding rate was not significantly less in the 3-day interval group (Group IIIa--16.66% and Group IIIb--17.64%) as compared with the 1-week (23.3%) and 3-week (28.5%) groups. However the mortality due to rebleed was significantly less (p less than 0.05) in patients injected at 3-day interval (nil), as compared with those injected at 1-week (13.3%) and 3-week (10.7%) intervals. Mucosal ulcerations and stricture formation were observed significantly (p less than 0.001) more frequently in patients undergoing sclerotherapy at 3-day intervals (Group IIIa--51.5% and 18.18%) with 3-5 ml of phenol as compared with those injected similar volume at 1-week (16.66% and 3.3%) and 3-week (7.1% and 3.5%) intervals respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)