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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 13015-13026
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13015
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13015
Endoscopic treatment of esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis
Christos Triantos, Maria Kalafateli, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Author contributions: Triantos C and Kalafateli M contributed to the concept and design of the study, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafting of the article; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Christos Triantos, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Patras, Stamatopoulou 4, Rio, 26504 Patras, Greece. chtriantos@hotmail.com
Telephone: +30-697-2894651 Fax: +30-261-0625382
Received: October 11, 2013
Revised: January 15, 2014
Accepted: May 23, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 354 Days and 22 Hours
Revised: January 15, 2014
Accepted: May 23, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 354 Days and 22 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Endoscopic therapy is the major treatment option in the management of patients with esophageal varices and liver cirrhosis. The current treatment guidelines recommend the use of endoscopic therapy in both primary and secondary prophylaxis, as well as in the setting of the acute bleeding episode, along with pharmaceutical agents. This review summarizes data from randomized clinical trials and prospective clinical studies along with meta-analytical data, when applicable, to present the most updated recommendations for the endoscopic management of esophageal varices.