OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and adverse effects of endovenous foam sclerotherapy (EFS) and liquid sclerotherapy (ELS) using a microcatheter for the treatment of varicose tributaries. MATERIALS AND METHODS From December 2007 to January 2009, patients with venous reflux in the saphenous vein were enrolled. The foam or liquid sclerosant was injected through a microcatheter just before endo...

BACKGROUND Adding a second endoscopic therapy to epinephrine injection might improve hemostatic efficacy in patients with high-risk bleeding ulcers but the optimum modality remains unknown. We aimed to estimate the comparative efficacy of different dual endoscopic therapies for the management of bleeding peptic ulcers through random-effects Bayesian network meta-analysis. METHODS Different da...

Pleurodesis aims to obliterate the pleural space by producing extensive adhesion of the visceral and parietal pleura, in order to control relapse of either pleural effusions (mostly malignant) or pneumothorax. A tight and complete apposition between the two pleural layers is a necessary condition to obtain a successful pleurodesis, but – besides this mechanical aspect – there are many biologica...

BACKGROUND Endovenous thermal techniques, such as endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), are the recommended treatment for truncal varicose veins. However, a disadvantage of thermal techniques is that it requires the administration of tumescent anaesthesia, which can be uncomfortable. Non-thermal, non-tumescent techniques, such as mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) have potential benefits. MOCA combine...

Background: Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) is one of the most commonly applied techniques in the treatment of patients with esophageal varices (EV) bleeding. However, the role of EIS in the long-term management of patients with EV bleeding remains controversial. We conducted a retrospective 30-year survey of EIS in patients with EV bleeding. Patients and Methods: Sclerosant with radio...

M alignant invasion of the pericardium is always serious and, unfortunately, increasingly detected. Once the cell type is identified, physicians have an array of therapeutic options (condensed in Table 1).1 In this issue of CHEST (see page 1412), Dr. Martinoni and colleagues have very carefully followed up their series of patients with various malignancies who were treated successfully with int...

BACKGROUND Venous leg ulceration is a frequent and severe complication of lower limb venous insufficiency. Compression therapy is associated with a protracted course of healing and multiple recurrences. Minimally invasive surgery (subfascial endoscopic perforating surgery) is only possible in a subset of patients with leg ulcers. Low-cost and noninvasive therapeutic procedures are needed as alt...