Background: Sclerotherapy is one of the older methods of conservative treatment of haemorrhoids. It has been widely used and the early results are considered satisfactory although the long-term results are not as good as expected.
Aims: The evaluation of long-term results of sclerotherapy in patients with symptomatic 1st and 2nd degree haemorrhoids.
Methods: From 1990 until 1996, 240 outpatients, 154 men and 86 women, with symptomatic 1st and 2nd degree haemorrhoids, underwent sclerotherapy. The most common symptoms were bleeding for patients with 1st degree haemorrhoids and prolapse for patients with 2nd degree. After 3 years all patients were called and examined and their symptoms were recorded. 38 patients were excluded.
Results: 3 years after sclerotherapy 20 patients (20.2%) with 1st degree haemorrhoids and 9 patients (8.7%) with 2nd degree were symptoms free. 42 patients (42.4%) with 1st degree haemorrhoids and 66 patients (64.1%) with 2nd degree were worse, and the remainder were either improved or unchanged. Bleeding and prolapse were the most frequent recurrent symptoms.
Conclusion: The frequency of recurrent symptoms 3 years after sclerotherapy for symptomatic 1st and 2nd degree haemorrhoids is high. Sclerotherapy appears to be an inappropriate method of treatment for symptomatic 1st and especially 2nd degree haemorrhoids.