[Study of complications after endoscopic sclerotherapy for esophageal varices--particularly 2 cases that changed portal circulation after sclerotherapy].

In 116 patients with esophageal varix due to liver cirrhosis who received the endoscopic sclerotherapy, the following complications were observed after the sclerotherapy: 38 ulcer formation; 19 chest pain; 16 hypotension; 15 fever; 12 pleural effusion; 6 esophageal stenosis and so on. Furthermore, two cases with marked changes of portal circulation were experienced after the sclerotherapy. The first case had severe bleeding out of duodenal varix four months after the sclerotherapy and died because of massive bleeding. The second case had hepatic encephalopathy six months after the sclerotherapy. In both cases, angiography revealed the development of collateral veins after the sclerotherapy. Because the abrupt intercept of the esophageal varix by the successful sclerotherapy causes the increase of the other collateral blood flow, the changes of portal circulation must be watched carefully afterward.