Endoscopic sclerotherapy of oesophageal varices due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. A randomized controlled trial evaluating effect of sclerosant concentration.

Forty consecutive patients with bleeding oesophageal varices underwent paravariceal injection with 2.5% or 5% ethanolamine oleate in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Patients were injected on a weekly basis until varices were eradicated and then followed-up for a period of two years. Patients injected with 2.5% ethanolamine oleate experienced a significantly shorter duration of dysphagia and significantly less episodes of fever, ulceration, and luminal narrowing. Patients injected with 5% ethanolamine oleate required significantly less injection sessions to eradicate their varices. However, the probability of rebleeding was significantly lower in patients injected with 2.5% ethanolamine oleate. This study supports the use of ethanolamine in a concentration of 2.5% when injected paravariceally as it is associated with less complications and a lower probability of rebleeding.