Abstract
Parastomal varices are an uncommon but serious cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension. Conventional treatments include surgical revision or interventional radiology embolization, but these may not be feasible in advanced disease. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)–guided therapy offers a minimally invasive alternative. We describe two cases using EUS-guided coiling and combined thrombin/fibrinogen injection for parastomal variceal bleeding.
Two patients with colorectal cancer and prior liver metastases developed recurrent bleeding from parastomal varices despite conservative or interventional radiology management. Feeding vessels were identified by EUS, accessed with a 19-gauge needle, and treated with intravascular coil embolization followed by injection of thrombin/fibrinogen.
Both procedures were technically successful without intraprocedural complications. Doppler confirmed near-complete obliteration of variceal flow. One patient remained free of recurrence, while the second required repeat treatment 2.5 months later, at which time cyanoacrylate glue was selected for definitive hemostasis.
EUS-guided coiling with thrombin/fibrinogen injection appears to be a safe and effective option for achieving hemostasis in parastomal varices. Its minimally invasive nature and ability to directly target variceal inflow make it a promising alternative when conventional therapies are not feasible. Larger studies are needed to evaluate predictors of durable success and long-term outcomes.