Research Article

Changes in Cardiac Varices and Their Clinical Significance after Eradication of Esophageal Varices by Band Ligation

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of patients who underwent EVs eradication by EBL—arranged according to the type of varices.

All patients ()Pts with EVs only ()Pts with GOV1s ()P

Age0.347
Male, (%)96 (78.0)27 (71.1)69 (81.2)0.210
Etiology, (%)0.158
 Hepatitis B virus41 (33.3)9 (23.7)32 (37.6)
 Hepatitis C virus10 (8.1)4 (10.5)6 (7.1)
 Alcohol59 (48.0)23 (60.5)36 (42.4)
 Others13 (10.6)2 (5.3)11 (12.9)
Purpose of EBL, (%)0.445
 Primary prophylaxis71 (57.7)20 (52.6)51 (60.0)
 Secondary prophylaxis52 (42.3)18 (47.4)34 (40.0)
Size of EVs0.639
 F2104 (84.6)33 (86.8)71 (83.5)
 F319 (15.4)5 (13.2)14 (16.5)
Red color sign on EVs, (%)117 (95.1)35 (92.1)82 (96.5)0.299
Number of EBL sessions2.3 ± 1.02.1 ± 1.22.4 ± 0.80.112
Number of used rubber bands7.7 ± 3.67.3 ± 5.07.9 ± 2.70.456
Duration until EVs eradiation, months2.4 ± 1.42.2 ± 1.72.5 ± 1.20.288
Platelet count, ×109/L89.1 ± 45.293.0 ± 44.587.3 ± 45.60.526
INR1.4 ± 0.31.4 ± 0.31.4 ± 0.30.362
AST, IU/L89.8 ± 182.769.7 ± 59.698.8 ± 216.00.416
ALT, IU/L41.9 ± 55.334.0 ± 25.145.4 ± 64.20.295
Bilirubin, mg/dL1.7 ± 1.41.8 ± 1.31.7 ± 1.50.572
Albumin, g/dL3.2 ± 0.63.1 ± 0.53.2 ± 0.60.287
Creatinine, mg/dL1.0 ± 0.90.9 ± 0.31.0 ± 1.10.373
Sodium, mEq/L137.7 ± 4.7137.6 ± 4.6137.7 ± 4.70.905
Ascites, (%)65 (52.8)49 (57.6)16 (42.1)0.111
Encephalopathy, (%)10 (8.1)1 (2.6)9 (10.6)0.136
Child-Pugh score7.2 ± 1.77.2 ± 1.67.2 ± 1.80.908
Child-Pugh classification, (%)0.943
 Grade A50 (40.7)16 (42.1)34 (40.0)
 Grade B61 (49.6)18 (47.4)43 (50.6)
 Grade C12 (9.8)4 (10.5)8 (9.4)

AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; EBL: endoscopic band ligation; EVs: esophageal varices; GOVs: gastroesophageal varices; INR: international normalized ratio.