Upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to ectopic varices in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis

Abstract

SUMMARY
We report a case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to
ectopic varices located in the duodenum in a patient with
alcoholic cirrhosis. Ectopic varices are a rare cause of intestinal
hemorrhage in patients with portal hypertension,
whether they suffer from cirrhosis or not. Hemorrhage can
be severe and high mortality rates have been reported. The
treatment of varices is challenging and has been debated in
the literature. In the case presented, we used injection sclerotherapy
with ethanolamine oleate, to obliterate varices
and control bleeding. A short review on the etiology pathogenesis
and management of ectopic varices is presented.
Key words: ectopic varices, cirrhosis, gastrointestinal bleeding,
portal hypertension, injection sclerotherapy