Endoscopic prophylaxis and factors associated with bleeding in children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with upper digestive hemorrhage and primary and secondary endoscopic prophylaxis outcomes in children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction.

Methods

This observational and prospective study included 72 children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction who were followed from 2005 to 2017. Risk factors associated with upper digestive hemorrhage and the results of primary and secondary prophylaxis of these patients were evaluated.

Results

Fifty patients (69.4%) had one or more episodes of bleeding during follow‐up, with a median age at first hemorrhage of 4.81 years. The multivariate analysis showed that medium‐ to large‐caliber esophageal varices were associated with an 18‐fold risk of upper digestive hemorrhage (95% CI: 4.33–74.76; p < 0.0001). Primary prophylaxis was administered to 14 patients, with eradication in 85.7%; however, 14.3% of these patients had hemorrhages during the follow‐up period and 41.7% had a relapse of varices. Secondary prophylaxis was administered to 41 patients. Esophageal varices were eradicated in 90.2% of patients. There were relapse and re‐bleeding of esophageal varices in 45.9% and 34.1% of the children, respectively.

Conclusion

Primary and secondary endoscopic prophylaxes showed high rates of esophageal varix eradication, but with significant relapses. Eradication of esophageal varices cannot definitively prevent recurrent upper digestive hemorrhage, since bleeding from alternate sites can occur. Medium‐ and large‐caliber esophageal varices were associated with upper digestive hemorrhage in patients with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate bleeding risk factors in children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction.