Angiography for Evaluation of the Feeder Vessel in EUS-guided Coils and Cyanoacrylate Therapy for Gastric Varices

INTRODUCTION: Bleeding from gastric varices (GV) is associated with a high mortality rate. Injection of cyanoacrylate (CYA) using standard gastroscope has demonstrated to achieve higher hemostasis and lower rebleeding rates compared to band ligation or sclerotherapy. Nevertheless CYA treatment is known to be associated with significant adverse events. Pulmonary embolism due to CYA injection is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of this therapy. These patients usually have respiratory symptom, however this complication can be present in asymptomatic patients, being demonstrated only by a pathological CT scan. On the other hand, it has been described that the risk of glue embolism dependent on the volume of CYA injected, being significantly greater with high volumes. Other complications related to CYA injection are hemorrhage from injection site ulcers, fever, peritonitis, needle impaction, and even death. Also the injection material can cause serious damage to the endoscope. Currently, endoscopic injection of CYA can be performed by direct visualization using a standard gastroscope or guided by Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) with injection of CYA alone or in combination with coils. The injection of coils in conjunction with CYA may reduce or eliminate the risk of glue embolization as coils can function as a scaffold to retain CYA within the varix and may decrease the amount of glue injection needed to achieve obliteration. It has been previously demonstrated that treatment under EUS guidance may have some benefits. It allows a precise targeting of the varix lumen or afferent feeding veins, being the vessel obstructed with less amount of CYA than used for the "blind" injection by standard endoscopy, reducing the risk of glue embolism. EUS can confirm varix obliteration by Doppler effect and also the visualization of GV is not impaired by blood or food in the stomach, thus it can be used in the setting of active hemorrhage.