Background: Transient esophageal ulceration is a common finding after sclerotherapy of varices. These ulcers sometimes cause pain, ulcer bleeding, and stricture formation. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) after Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) is a known cause of worsening ulcer formation. Therefore, an efficient drug for GER is desirable to improve the quality of life of patients with esophageal varices.
Methods: We randomized 18 Japanese cirrhotic patients who had risky esophageal varices. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups, and during EIS sessions, one group was administered proton pump inhibitor(PPI) (Rabeprazole 20 mg a person once a day), while the other received histamine H2 receptor antagonist (H2-blocker) (famotidine 20 mg a person, twice a day). Gastroesophageal reflux was monitored by a 24-h pH-monitoring catheter introduced into the distal esophagus. Ulcer formation was evaluated using an endoscopic examination. The subjective and objective symptoms were also compared between the two groups.
Results: All patients in the H2-blocker group showed an increased percentage of time with pH < 4.0 after EIS sessions, but no patients in the PPI group showed an increased such symptoms. The H2-blocker group also experienced a significantly higher number of days of heartburn and dysphasia than did the PPI group (p = 0.017, p = 0.042). The rate of ulcer improvement was found to be faster in Rabeprazole group than in H2 blocker group (p = 0.008).
Conclusion: These results suggest that Rabeprazole treatment prevents EIS-associated gastroesophageal reflux and promotes ulcer healing. Rabeprazole also improve the subjective symptoms following EIS.