A multi-center survey of esophagogastic variceal bleeding in China

Objective To investigate the status of morbidity and therapy of esophagogastric varices in China.Methods A website for data-uploading was constructed and cases of esophagogastric varices were uploaded by 29 hospitals of China.Altogether 1144 cases were collected.The first and second causes were hepatitis B cirrhosis (522 cases) and alcoholic cirrhosis (108 cases) respectively.Treatment methods including endoscopic ligation (emergency 87 cases, optional 250 cases) , endoscopic sclerotherapy (emergency 198 cases, optional 102 cases) , surgery emergency 18 cases, optional 53 cases) , percutanious transhepatic venous embolization 77 cases, transjungular intrahepatic portal-systemic shunt 12 cases, balloon temponade 100 cases, and vasoactive agents for the other cases.Results The overall hemostasis rate was 88.2%.For emergence ligation, sclerotherapy, surgery, PTVE, TIPS, balloon temponade and medical therapy the hemostasis rate was 88.5%、90.9%、88.9%、87.0%、83.3%、78.0%、89.1% respectively Follow-up data were available for 462, 334 and 267 cases at half year, 1 year and 3 years respectively.Within them the death toll were 38, 28 and 127 respectively and the number of cases died because of bleeding were 17, 13 and 59 respectively.Conclusion The main cause of esophagogastric varices is still hepatitis B cirrhosis.About half the cases acquired combined therapy of vasoactive agents and endoscopic therapy recommended by the guidelines.The main cause of death is still bleeding.