Endoscopic sclerotherapy: lessons from a necropsy study

A retrospective necropsy survey of 13 patients who had received endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was carried out to study tissue changes induced and to determine the causes of death. These results were compared with autopsy findings in nine patients with portal hypertension, comparable for age, sex, and nature and severity of underlying liver disease, who had not received sclerotherapy. Although all treated patients had variceal thrombosis with an associated vasculitis, residual varices were usually present, probably reflecting the brief duration of treatment (median, 12 days). The major complications of sclerotherapy resulted from necrosis, with resultant mucosal ulceration and abscess formation. These features were not present in the control group. Complications contributing to death were hemorrhage in three patients, and in one sepsis with deep necrosis and periesophageal abscess formation.