©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Nov 27, 2016; 8(11): 729-734
Published online Nov 27, 2016. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v8.i11.729
Published online Nov 27, 2016. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v8.i11.729
Pitfalls in histoacryl glue injection therapy for oesophageal, gastric and ectopic varices: A review
Lulia Al-Hillawi, Terence Wong, Giovanni Tritto, Philip A Berry, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None.
Correspondence to: Dr. Philip A Berry, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom. philaberry@hotmail.com
Telephone: +44-020-71887188 Fax: +44-020-71882484
Received: January 26, 2016
Peer-review started: February 2, 2016
First decision: March 23, 2016
Revised: August 2, 2016
Accepted: September 7, 2016
Article in press: September 8, 2016
Published online: November 27, 2016
Processing time: 301 Days and 12.5 Hours
Peer-review started: February 2, 2016
First decision: March 23, 2016
Revised: August 2, 2016
Accepted: September 7, 2016
Article in press: September 8, 2016
Published online: November 27, 2016
Processing time: 301 Days and 12.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Histoacryl “glue”) injection is of proven efficacy for the treatment of bleeding gastric varices but its utility in bleeding oesophageal varices remains unproven. Overall complication rates are 0.5%-5%, 1% being commonly quoted. Complications include pulmonary and systemic arterial embolisation, portal and mesenteric vein thrombosis, persistent sepsis, fistulisation and mucosal erosion due to extravascular injection, and late extrusion or variceal ulceration. Consent processes and injection techniques vary according to local experience, and there is a case for national/international agreement to standardise these.