Abstract: AIM: To evaluate the effect of octreotide on maintaining treatment of esophageal and gastric fundus varices hemorrhage (EVB). METHODS: PubMed, EMBase, Web of Science and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1994 to 2011 (up to October), and China Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Technologic Journal Database (Weipu), Wan Fang Digital Journal Full-text Database from 1994 to 2011 (up to October) were retrieved in order to collect clinical randomized controlled trials regarding the effect of octreotide on maintaining treatment in EVB patients. Statistical analysis was performed by meta-analysis using Review Manager 4.2.10. RESULTS: Ten articles were included that contains total 810 patients with EVB (410 patients treated with octreotide and 400 patients treated with pituitrin). The total effective rate of octreotide group was higher than that of pituitrin group, especially of the remission rate OR=0.29(0.20-0.42, P<0.01) and the significant remission rate OR=2.60(1.65-4.10, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Combined with conventional therapy, octreotide can improve the clinical remission rate in EVB paitents, and is superior to pituitrin.

Key words: Hepatic cirrhosis, Esophageal and gastric fundus varices hemorrhage, Octreotide, Randomized controlled trails, Meta-analysis