Bleeding from rectal varices in a patient with severe decompensated cirrhosis: success of endoscopic band ligation. A case report and review of the literature

In patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension can be complicated by bleeding rectal varices. Treatment of bleeding rectal varices is not well established because clinical therapeutic trials are scarce in the literature and there are only a few case reports. In most cases, first line treatment is e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gastroentérologie clinique et biologique 2006-05, Vol.30 (5), p.783-785
Main Authors: Boursier, Jérôme, Oberti, Frédéric, Reaud, Stéphane, Person, Bruno, Maurin, Arnaud, Cales, Paul
Format: Article
Language:fre
Subjects:
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - complications
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - surgery
Hemostasis, Endoscopic
Humans
Ligation
Liver Cirrhosis - complications
Male
Middle Aged
Rectum - blood supply
Rectum - surgery
Varicose Veins - complications
Varicose Veins - surgery
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Summary:In patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension can be complicated by bleeding rectal varices. Treatment of bleeding rectal varices is not well established because clinical therapeutic trials are scarce in the literature and there are only a few case reports. In most cases, first line treatment is endoscopic (band ligation or sclerotherapy) and in case of failure or rebleeding, portosystemic shunts are the second line treatment. The indication of endoscopic treatment is not always easy in patients with cirrhosis and impaired liver function as well as major haemostatic problems. We report the case of a patient with severe decompensated cirrhosis and bleeding rectal varices who was successfully treated by endoscopic band ligation.
ISSN:0399-8320