ENDOSCOPIC SCLEROTHERAPY IN PORCINE ESOPHAGUS CHANGES LUMINAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND WALL DISTENSIBILITY DOSE-DEPENDENTLY AND TIME-DEPENDENTLY

The dose-and time-dependent effects of endoscopic sclerotherapy on lum inal cross-sectional area and wall distensibility were studied in pigs at 5 and 12 cm proximal to the gastroesophageal junction by means of impedance planimetry. Sixteen healthy animals underwent two sessions o f endoscopic sclerotherapy two weeks apart with injections of either 5 or 10 ml of 1% Polidocanol in the distal 7 cm of the esophagus each t ime. The animals were investigated before sclerotherapy, two weeks aft er each session, and finally six weeks after the last session. Six hea lthy animals were studied as controls. Endoscopic sclerotherapy caused luminal narrowing in the sclerosed zone followed by normalization six weeks after the last treatment (P < 0.05 in both groups). Wall disten sibility decreased in the sclerosed zone after treatment with 10 mi sc lerosant (P < 0.05) followed by partial normalization, while no effect was found after 5 mi sclerosant (P > 0.2). Progressive dilations were observed in the proximal esophagus in both groups and were most prono unced in the 10 mi group (P < 0.05). Wall distensibility did not chang e proximal to the site of sclerotherapy in either group (P > 0.1).