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Introduction. Endoscopic injection therapy of epinephrine is safe and effective in the treatment of bleeding peptic ulcer, but with high risk of rebleeding. The combination therapy of epinephrine and hemoclips could lead to a reduction of rebleeding and a potential reduction in mortality. Objective. To investigate the efficacy and safety of epinephrine injection therapy and combination therapy with epinephrine and hemoclips in treating bleeding peptic ulcers. Methods. A prospective randomized study included 58 patients with bleeding gastric or duodenal ulcer. In 30 patients endoscopic injection therapy with diluted epinephrine was applied (group I), while in 28 patients combination therapy of epinephrine and hemoclips was applied (group II). Results. Initial haemostasis was achieved in most patients treated with epinephrine injection therapy (93.3%) and patients treated with combination therapy of epinephrine and hemoclips (96.4%). After initial haemostasis was achieved rebleeding was significantly more frequent in the patients treated with epinephrine (28.5%) than in the patients treated with combination therapy (3.7%, p

Introduction. The most frequently applied methods of endoscopic treatment of angiodysplasias, such as argon plasma coagulation, multipolar coagulation and heater probe, proved to be effective with certain shortcomings and the possibility of complications. There are very scarce data in the literature about the treatment of angiodysplasias with endoscopic ligature. Objective. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy and safety of endoscopic treatment of gastric and duodenal angiodysplasias by ligation with elastic rings. Methods. In 12 patients (10 male and 2 female, mean age 65.9 years) the endoscopic ligation of gastric and duodenal angiodysplasias was applied. Eight patients (66.6%) had solitary angiodysplasias in the stomach, two patients (16.6%) had solitary angiodysplasias in the descending part of the duodenum and two patients (16.6%) had multiple angiodysplasias in the stomach and duodenum. Two patients (16.6%) had active bleeding from angiodysplasias, while 10 patients (83.3%) had recent bleeding. We used the Cook Endoscopy system with 4 or 6 elastic rings for endoscopic ligation of angiodysplasias. Patients were under follow-up after 2-3 days, 30 days and then every 6 months following the endoscopic ligation of angiodysplasias. Results. Active bleeding from angiodysplasias was stopped in two patients (100%) by endoscopic ligation with elastic rings. The average number of applied ligation sessions in our 12 patients was 1.6, with an average of 1.8 ligatures per session. There were no complications after ligation of angiodysplasias. Recurrence of bleeding occurred in one patient (8.3%) with multiple gastric and duodenal angiodysplasias. The average period of follow-up of patients was 22.8±17.6 months. Conclusion. Endoscopic ligation with elastic rings can be effective and safe for treatment especially of solitary gastric and duodenal angiodysplasias.

Introduction. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is superior to endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) of oesophageal varices, however, EBL is associated with a higher rate of variceal recurrences. Objective. To examine whether the reduction of recurrent varices can be achieved by additional sclerotherapy of remnant little varices after ligation. Methods. Forty-eight patients with liver cirrhosis who had previously bled from oesophageal varices were examined. Endoscopic therapy was performed in order to prevent recurrent variceal bleeding. I group: in 23 patients ligation of oesophageal varices with multi band ligation device was applied (EBL group). II group: in 25 patients sclerotherapy using polydocanol or absolute alcohol was applied after reducing the size of varices using ligation (EBL and EIS group). Results. There was no statistically significant difference between the examined groups of patients in relation to the number of sessions for variceal eradication, recurrence of variceal bleeding, deterioration of portal gastropathy and mortality in the observed period from 18.8±18.6 months (EBL group) and 22.2±26.2 months (EBL and EIS group). Variceal recurrence was verified in 21.7% of patients of the EBL group and 16% of the EBL and EIS group, but the difference was not statistically important. Several complications, such as dysphagia and chest pain, were statistically more frequent in the EBL and EIS group of patients. Conclusion. The combined method of ligation and extra sclerosing of remnant small oesophageal varices after ligation does not have advantage in relation to the ligation alone.