Association of Endoscopic Esophageal Variceal Ligation With Increased Risk of Duodenal Ulcer

Abstract

Introduction: This study was to explore the incidence of duodenal ulcer (DU), as well as other clinical characteristics occurring after endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) of the esophagus. Methods: A total of 47 patients with severe esophageal varices (EVr) who had also undergone EVL and gastroscopic follow-up within 3 months of the procedure was retrospectively analyzed. The status of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, Child-Pugh classification, and the grades of portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) were collected. Sixty EVr patients without EVL treatment, but with clinical data available, served as the control group. Results: The incidence of DU in the EVL group (29.8%, 14/47) was higher than that in the control group (6.7%, 4/ 60) (P<0.05). The Hp infection rate in EVL group was 19.15% (9/47), while in control group was 21.67% (13/60) (P>0.05). The Hp positive rate (12.5%, 1/8) in patients exhibited new DUs after EVL was comparable to that in patients without DU in the EVL group (12.1%, 4/33),( P>0.05). Patients with DU after EVL received 14 5.29 of ligating bands, while in those who did not exhibit DUs received 12 6.64 (P<0.05). A logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of DU was associated solely with applied band number, and not with age, gender, Child-Pugh classification, or the grade of PHG (P>0.05). Conclusion: Esophageal EVL is associated with a higher risk of DU, which is related to a larger number of applied bands but is not correlated with Hp infection status or other variables.