SURVEY OF PREVALANCE OF RECTAL VARICES IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS

All cirrhotic patients referred to the GI units in teaching hospitals during last 2 years were screened and performed colonoscopy. Rectal varices and its realationship to the severity of the liver failure,ettiology, and the treatment of whom recieved sclerotherapy of the esophgeal varices were studied. The aim of this study was to determinal the prevalence of rectal varices and its realation to the child grade classification, the type of cirrhosis and treatment received for esophageal varices.In this prospective study 39 patients were admitted and undervent colonoscopy during a 2 year period.Among 39 patients, 7 had rectal varices who were male and belonged to the c class of the child’s classification and 6 of them received sclerotherapy.Varices and their bleeding diathesis is one of the most common cause of death in the cirrhotic patients.With recent advance in controlling of GI bleeding from esophageal varices, it seems to see more cases with ectopic varices especially in the rectum. Rectal varices are formed mostly in advanced cirrhotics with child c classification who have recived sclerotherapy for esophageal varices. According to this study, those pati should be considered and examined for rectal varices.