Study the Efficacy of Argon Plasma Coagulation or Endoscopic Band Ligation versus Their Companion in Management of Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia in Cirrhotic Patients
Tarek Mohamed Youssef, Enas El-Khedr Mohamed, Mohamed Darwish El-Talkhawy, Ahmed Magdy Fathallah, Ahmed Hamed Hamza Al-Bendary- General Medicine
Abstract
Background
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare and often misdiagnosed cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding accounts for up to 4% of all non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleedings. Multiple options are available for the treatment of GAVE including endoscopic, surgical and medical therapies.
Aim of the Work
The aim of this study to evaluate the effect of APC followed by EBL in comparison to APC or EBL alone for the treatment of bleeding GAVE in cirrhotic patients.
Patients and Methods
We conducted this study on 45 adult cirrhotic patients with overt or occult bleeding from GAVE. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 15 patients in each group. Group I was treated with APC alone, group II was treated with EBL alone and Group III was treated with APC followed by EBL.
Results
In the current study, no statistically significant difference was detected between both groups regarding the etiology of liver cirrhosis, clinical presentation, laboratory or ultrasound findings with special emphasis on pre-treatment hemoglobin value, hospitalizations. APC alone was found to was found to be less effective in the treatment of GAVE when compared to both techniques (EBL and the combined therapy) which were effective in the treatment of GAVE and GAVE recurrence. EBL alone was found to require less number of treatment sessions but required more number of rubber bands and. Combined therapy (APC followed by EBL) successfully decreased the number of banding sessions and decreased the number of rubber bands required to treat GAVE.
Conclusion
Combined therapy (APC followed by EBL) and EBL alone are effective methods in the treatment of bleeding GAVE in Egyptian cirrhotic patients. EBL alone requires less number of treatment sessions but may require a big number of applied rubber bands. Combined therapy (APC followed by EBL) successfully decreased the number of banding sessions and decreased the number of rubber bands required to treat GAVE. So, in mild cases when less number of rubber bands seems to be required, it is advisable to start with EBL alone: while in severe cases where a large number of rubber bands seems to be required, it is advisable to use combination therapy of APC and EBL.