[Endoscopic sclerotherapy of esophageal varices with 80% alcohol. Experience with 46 cases]

We are presenting the results obtained by endoscopic sclerotherapy with 80% alcohol in fifty-five patients with upper GI bleeding caused by esophageal varices, with or without active bleeding at the moment of the endoscopic study. We obtained control of bleeding in 83.64% with a recurrence of bleeding of 16.36% during the first 15 days. At the same period of time we obtained a 16.36% mortality rate. In the forty six patients that concluded sclerotherapy, decrease in size of the varices occurred in 89.79% and eradication was obtained in 6.11% of the patients. We observed three types of complications: esophageal ulcers in 100% of the cases which healed in a period of three weeks. Retrosternal pain of short duration, in 45.65%, this pain appears when the sclerosant substance is injected. Esophageal stenosis in 5.45% which were treated with dilatations. Our conclusion is that 80% alcohol is an effective and safe sclerosant substance in the management of acute bleeding of esophageal varices and in the prevention of the immediate recurrence, but has the disadvantage of a great number of local complications.