Anorectal varices in liver cirrhosis

ABSTRACT

The study comprised 135 patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. They were classified into three groups Group A [55 patients with no history of esophageal bleeding], group B [70 patients undergone endoscopic infection for bleeding esophageal varices], and group C [10 patients undergone splenectomy vasoligation]. The prevalence of hemorrhoids and anorectal varices was studied in the three groups. Only anorectal varices showed significant increase in their incidence after esophageal sclerotherapy [p <0.005], but both hemorrhoids and anorectal varices, increase significantly with the increase in severity of liver disease [p <0.001]. Significant increase of hemorrhoids and anorectal varices was found with the increase in grading of esophageal varices with tendency to more significant increase in frequency of anorectal varices [x2 = 9.3 p <0.01]. Anorectal varices also showed significant increase with the increase in the number of sessions of sclerotherapy [x2 = 9.3 p = 5.601 p = 0.07]. Finally, it was found that, in all three groups, the presence or absence of hemorrhoids has no relation to the incidence of anorectal varices [x2 = 1.3 p <0.05]