A 30-year-old man presented with hematemesis. Five years earlier, he had been diagnosed
with Escherichia coli liver abscesses, without a clear underlying cause being identified. Although he recovered
with antibiotic treatment, extensive thrombosis of the portal, splenic, and superior
mesenteric veins remained. The patient received prophylactic propanolol for a large
fundic varix, and oral anticoagulants during the first year as well. Endoscopic evaluation
during the current admission revealed bleeding from the fundic varix, and an injection
of 1 ml N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (enbucrilate, Histoacryl), 0.5/0.8 (v/v) diluted with Lipiodol,
was administered. Although the hemorrhage was temporarily stopped, repeated cyanoacrylate
injections (two injections of 1 ml) and subsequent placement of a Sengstaken-Blakemore
tube had to be carried out due to recurrent severe bleeding.
The same day, a partial gastrectomy, splenectomy, and esophageal transection were
performed. Postoperative chest radiography (Figure [1], left) and computed tomography (Figure [1], top right) revealed multiple cyanoacrylate pulmonary emboli. Mechanical ventilation
had to be started. Abdominal sepsis from a subphrenic abscess, with multiple organ
failure, subsequently occurred. Intravenous heparin therapy was started due to deep
vein thrombosis in both legs. The patient showed further pulmonary deterioration (Figure
[1], bottom right). Thirty-seven days after the initial sclerotherapy, he died of abdominal
sepsis and deteriorating pulmonary function. No recurrent bleeding had occurred since
the surgical procedure.
Figure 1
Left: A chest radiograph showing multiple pulmonary emboli (white arrows) and two large
fragments of Cyanoacrylate in the upper abdomen (black arrows). Top right: Postoperative computed tomogram, showing multiple cyanoacrylate pulmonary emboli
on both sides (arrows), with an increased signal intensity in the segmental and subsegmental
pulmonary arteries. Bottom right: Computed tomograph approximately 2 weeks after the onset of the pulmonary emboli,
showing pulmonary infarction, formation of bullae, extensive consolidation, pleural
effusions, and residual enbucrilate (arrows).
Although cyanoacrylate is generally regarded as the first-line treatment for bleeding
gastric varices [1], complications may occur, such as the needle adhering to the varix, pyrexia, deep
ulceration due to accidental paravariceal injection, and in particular pulmonary embolism
[2]
[3]. Risk factors for pulmonary embolism are: more than 1 ml cyanoacrylate-Lipiodol
per injection, excess Lipiodol (cyanoacrylate/lipiodol ratio below 5 : 8 v/v), injection
of excess distilled water with the needle still located in the varix [4], and slow injection, especially in case of varices with a high flow rate and a large
diameter [5]. Surgery is still a valuable treatment alternative, especially in cases of left-sided
portal hypertension.
Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_CPL_1AH_2AC