LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF REPEATED INJECTION SCLEROTHERAPY ON ESOPHAGEAL MOTILITY AND MUCOSA

Background: Endoscopic sclerotherapy (ST), widely used as treatment of bleeding esophageal varices, might cause motility disturbances of the esophagus as well as mucosal damage. We performed this study to evalu ate the long-term effects of repeated sclerotherapy on esophageal moti lity and mucosa. Methods: Ten patients with liver cirrhosis and bleedi ng esophageal varices treated with repeated ST were evaluated after th e last ST, median 52 months, by esophageal manometry and gastroscopy w here forceps biopsies were taken. Results: We found a significant diff erence in the distal esophageal sphincter intraabdominal length. The d istal esophageal sphincter pressure was somewhat lower in the ST group although the difference did not reach statistical significance. There was infiltration of neutrophil leukocytes in biopsies from four patie nts and normal findings in the rest. Conclusions: Long-term follow-up evaluation showed statistically longer distal esophageal intraabdomina l length in the ST group. No mucosal alterations were found at the his topathological investigation.