[Experiences with a methodologic variant of fiberoptic sclerosing of esophageal varices]

43 patients with acute bleeding oesophageal varices were treated by means of endoscopic sclerotherapy using a modified fiber-endoscopic technic by either intravasal or combined intra- and paravasal injections. The results obtained in this group were compared with a group of 30 patients who had been treated conservatively--above all using a Sengstaken tube. According to previous experiences the method proved sufficient. In the sclerotherapy group there were by far less recurrent variceal haemorrhages (22 episodes of haemorrhages in 35 per cent of the patients) than in the control group, and during an average observation time of 16 months 18 per cent of the patients died. On the other hand, in the group treated conservatively, there were 44 episodes of haemorrhages in 60 per cent of the patients and 66.6 per cent of the patients died within 13 months. The results are compared with the results in literature and they suggest that, apart from the decrease of the frequency of haemorrhagic recidivations the sclerotherapy may have a favourable influence on the survival time of patients with liver cirrhosis. These findings, however, must still be confirmed by long-term results.