Cyanoacrylate spray for treatment of difficult-to-control GI bleeding

Although endoscopic therapy is highly effective for control of GI bleeding, a small proportion of patients experience persistent bleeding and may require radiologic or surgical intervention. Experience with cyanoacrylate spray for treatment of difficult-to-control GI bleeding is limited.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an endoscopic cyanoacrylate spray technique for treatment of difficult-to-control GI bleeding.

Case series.

Two tertiary-care centers.

This study involved consecutive patients with overt GI bleeding who were treated with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate spray during endoscopy for persistent bleeding despite conventional hemostatic therapies.

Cyanoacrylate spray.

Hemostasis, rebleeding, adverse events, and technical failure associated with cyanoacrylate spray.

Five patients were treated with cyanoacrylate spray during endoscopy for persistent bleeding (duodenal ulcer in 3, gastric vascular ectasia in 1, rectal postpolypectomy bleeding in 1) after failed conventional therapies. Immediate hemostasis and technical success were achieved in all patients. At a median follow-up of 42 days (range 38-120 days), 2 patients developed recurrent bleeding. One patient experienced rebleeding 2 days after the procedure, subsequently requiring radiographic intervention and surgery. Another patient had recurrent bleeding from a different bleeding source 18 days after the procedure. No adverse events attributed to the cyanoacrylate spray were observed.

Small number of patients.

In patients with difficult-to-control GI bleeding failing conventional endoscopic therapies, cyanoacrylate spray was effective in achieving immediate hemostasis. Prospective studies with a larger number of patients to evaluate the role of the cyanoacrylate spray technique during endoscopy for GI bleeding are needed.