Endoscopy in patients with acute leukaemia after intensive chemotherapy

Gastrointestinal complications are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute leukaemia. However, no adequate reports exist regarding safety and usefulness of endoscopies. We present a retrospective series of consecutive patients in whom upper or lower gastrointestinal endoscopiesor ERCP were performed after 117 of 1640 cycles of myelosuppressive chemotherapy. The most frequent findings of upper endoscopieswere: Oesophagitis (50.9%), gastric erosions(30.2%), hiatushernia (24.5%) and gastritis (22.6%). Upper endoscopieshad therapeutic consequences in 55%. Endoscopycould be performed relatively safely but the percentage of patients in whom endoscopic haemostasis was applicable and effective was low.