[Determination of blood cell count and spleen size in patients with liver cirrhosis submitted to endoscopic sclerotherapy for esophageal varices].

Each of the 24 patients with bleeding oesophageal varices related to the liver cirrhosis was submitted to 3-12 endoscopic sclerotherapies. During one year of follow-up blood cell counts including erythrocytes, white blood cell, neutorophiles and platelets, the size of spleen on ultrasound were assessed. After a year we noticed marked, statistically significant decline in white blood cells, neutrophiles and platelets counts. The size of the spleen remained unchanged. We may conclude that repeated sclerotherapy of oesophageal varices does not contribute to the rise in blood pressure within the portal system while decrease in blood cells count might be attributed to deterioration of the liver function.