Endovascular obliteration of bleeding duodenal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis

The purpose of this paper is to describe our experience with endovascular obliteration of duodenal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Balloon-occluded transvenous retrograde and percutaneous transhepatic anterograde embolizations were performed for duodenal varices in five patients with liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and decreased liver function. All patients had undergone previous endoscopic treatments that failed to stop bleeding and were poor surgical candidates. Temporary balloon occlusion catheters were used to achieve accumulation of an ethanolamine oleate–iopamidol mixture inside the varices. Elimination of the varices was successful in all patients. Retrograde transvenous obliteration via efferent veins to the inferior vena cava was enough to achieve adequate sclerosant accumulation in three patients. A combined anterograde–retrograde embolization was used in one patient with balloon occlusion of afferent and efferent veins. Transhepatic embolization through the afferent vein was performed in one patient under balloon occlusion of both efferent and afferent veins. There was complete variceal thrombosis and no bleeding was observed at follow-up. No major complications were recorded. Endovascular obliteration of duodenal varices is a feasible and safe alternative procedure for managing patients with portal hypertension and hemorrhage from this source.