Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding in children with biliary atresia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) for children with biliary atresia.

METHODOLOGY: Subjects were 7 patients with biliary atresia with esophagogastric varices and variceal bleeding. Intravariceal injection using 5% ethanolamine oleate was performed under fluoroscopy until varices were eradicated.

RESULTS

Endoscopic examination revealed that bleeding occurred in the junctional gastric varices in most of the cases. The mean number of EIS sessions required for obliteration of the varices was 2.3. In the observation period (mean: 21 months), recurrent esophagogastric varices occurred in 2 patients. One had variceal bleeding that was treated successfully by additional EIS. There were no severe complications associated with EIS.

CONCLUSIONS

EIS under fluoroscopy was safe and effective for variceal bleeding in children with biliary atresia.