Efficacy of Timolol in a Novel Intranasal Thermosensitive Gel for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia-Associated Epistaxis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Understanding hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: From genetic anomalies to systemic manifestations, quality of life, and epistaxis management-Exploring the otolaryngologist's integral role

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Osler-Rendu-Weber syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by vascular malformations. This comprehensive review aimed to provide an overview and summarize various aspects of HHT, including the genetic abnormalities, complications associated with visceral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), prognosis of HHT, quality of life (QOL), and treatment of epistaxis. In addition, this review highlights the challenges in diagnosing HHT and emphasizes the critical role of otolaryngologists in the early detection of HHT. Otolaryngologists can refer patients with refractory epistaxis for AVM screening to expedite intervention. Mutation of the genes involved in the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway leads to the incidence of HHT, resulting in the formation of abnormal blood vessel formation. These vascular malformations commonly manifest as telangiectasia on the skin and mucous membranes; however, epistaxis remains the hallmark symptom of HHT. The impact of HHT goes beyond the visible symptoms and often includes the formation of life-threatening visceral AVMs in the lungs, liver, and brain. The prognosis of patients with HHT is closely related to the development of these complications, necessitating timely diagnosis and intervention. Refractory epistaxis diminishes the QOL of patients with HHT. The management of epistaxis ranges from conservative measures to advanced interventions such as prevention, conservative treatments, ablation, surgical procedures, and the administration of anti-angiogenic agents. However, effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach. The diagnosis of HHT remains challenging due to its variable presentation and lack of awareness among physicians. This review highlights the importance of reducing the duration between symptom onset and diagnosis. Otolaryngologists who are experienced in the management of refractory epistaxis can aid in identifying potential cases of HHT. They can facilitate the initiation of screening for visceral AVMs via prompt recognition of the signs and symptoms of HHT, contributing to improved patient outcomes. Early detection and intervention through screening can extend the life expectancy of patients with HHT to levels comparable with that of the general population. In conclusion, this review provides insight into various aspects of HHT and emphasizes the importance of timely diagnosis and intervention in the mitigation of the potentially life-threatening complications associated with this disorder. Otolaryngologists play a critical role in this process, serving as gatekeepers to the identification of cases of HHT and implementation of appropriate screening and management pathways, thereby improving the life expectancy and QOL of patients.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: from signaling insights to therapeutic advances

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectsia (HHT) is an inherited vascular disorder with highly variable expressivity, affecting up to 1 in 5,000 individuals. This disease is characterized by small arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in mucocutaneous areas (telangiectases) and larger visceral AVMs in the lungs, liver, and brain. HHT is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the BMP9-10/ENG/ALK1/SMAD4 signaling pathway. This Review presents up-to-date insights on this mutated signaling pathway and its crosstalk with proangiogenic pathways, in particular the VEGF pathway, that has allowed the repurposing of new drugs for HHT treatment. However, despite the substantial benefits of these new treatments in terms of alleviating symptom severity, this not-so-uncommon bleeding disorder still currently lacks any FDA- or European Medicines Agency-approved (EMA-approved) therapies.

Health-Related Quality of Life Outcome Measures in Individuals With Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) have expanded rapidly in the past decade. These studies have evaluated QOL aspects ranging from the general QOL for patients living with HHT to intervention-specific outcomes. However, few tools have been fully validated across the spectrum of disease manifestations and interventions in HHT.

OBJECTIVE

In this scoping review, we aim to map the literature on HHT-QOL metrics, identify gaps, inform future QOL research, and facilitate future metric development.

METHODS

We analyzed articles in English that assessed at least 1 measure of general HRQOL, including physical health, mental health, social health, or intervention-specific QOL in patients with HHT. Searches across 2 bibliographic databases (PubMed and Scopus) yielded 186 articles after duplicates were removed. Sixty-three studies met eligibility criteria: 22 prospective studies (34.9%), 20 retrospective studies (31.7%), 12 cross-sectional studies (17.5%), 6 randomized controlled trials or secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trials (9.5%), 2 qualitative studies (3.2%), and 1 case-control study (1.6%). Two additional studies-1 prospective and 1 cross-sectional study-were identified at the October 2022 14th International HHT Conference and included, making a total of 65 studies.

RESULTS

The 65 eligible studies used 30 QOL instruments. Twenty studies characterized baseline HRQOL, and 45 studies evaluated QOL before and after treatment. Of those 45 studies, 37 evaluated HRQOL before and after therapies targeting epistaxis and nasal symptoms, 4 targeted therapies for liver arteriovenous malformations and high-output heart failure, 3 evaluated therapies for both epistaxis and gastrointestinal bleeding, and 1 evaluated treatment targeting gastrointestinal bleeding alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparison of results across studies remains challenging given the heterogeneity in outcomes measures. Further development of HHT-specific patient-reported outcomes instruments that capture the global illness experience of HHT is needed.

Treatments of Epistaxis in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To analyze and compare the effects of epistaxis treatments for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Of total of 21 randomized controlled trials (RCT), the data from 15 RCTs (697 patients, 7 treatments: timolol, propranolol, bevacizumab, doxycycline, tacrolimus, estriol/estradiol, and tranexamic acid) were pooled for the meta-analyses while the other 6 studies (treatments: electrosurgical plasma coagulation, KTP laser, postoperative packing, tamoxifen, sclerosing agent, and estriol) were reviewed qualitatively. When compared to placebo, propranolol offered the most improved epistaxis severity score, mean difference (MD), -1.68, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) [-2.80, -0.56] followed by timolol, MD -0.40, 95%CI [-0.79, -0.02]. Tranexamic acid significantly reduced the epistaxis frequency, MD -1.93, 95%CI [-3.58, -0.28]. Other treatments had indifferent effects to placebo. Qualitative analysis highlighted the benefits of tamoxifen and estriol. The adverse events of tranexamic acid, tacrolimus, propranolol, and estradiol were significantly reported. Propranolol, timolol, tranexamic acid, tamoxifen, and estriol were effective treatments which offered benefits to HHT patients in epistaxis management. Adverse events of tranexamic acid, tacrolimus, propranolol, and estradiol should be concerned.

Most-Cited Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Within Otolaryngology-Revisiting the Minimal Clinically Important Difference: A Review

Importance

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) allow clinicians and researchers to assess health-related information from a patient's perspective. These measures have been used more frequently over the last several decades, but an associated minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is needed to optimize their utility. This narrative review identified the top 100 most-cited otolaryngology-related PROM development and validation publications and assessed the presence and characteristics of the PROMs' associated MCID.

Observations

In this narrative review, a literature search in Scopus and Web of Science was conducted on June 29, 2022, using keywords related to PROM development and validation studies in otolaryngology and reference lists. Studies that met the definition of a PROM and assessed an otolaryngologic disorder or study population were included for full-text review. After full-text review of 188 articles, the top 100 most-cited PROM development and validation publications, resulting in 106 total PROMs, were chosen for review. A total of 39 (37%) of the identified PROMs had an associated MCID. Of those reporting an MCID, 14 (35.9%) used an anchor-based method, 12 (30.8%) used a distribution-based method, 10 (25.6%) used both, and 3 (7.7%) did not specify or used neither method. Rhinology had the greatest number of PROMs with an associated MCID (16 of 24, 66%), and pediatrics had the fewest (1 of 13, 7.7%). The median number of citations of PROMs with an MCID was higher than those without an MCID.

Conclusions and Relevance

The majority of the most-cited PROMs in otolaryngology lack an associated MCID. These data indicated that there are a multitude of PROMs that have been cited hundreds of times and used for decades without the ability to identify whether a particular change in score on the instrument is clinically meaningful. There is a need to determine and validate MCIDs for commonly used PROMs to aid clinical research and trial interpretation.

The Use of Beta-Blockers in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia-Related Epistaxis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disease affecting 1 in 5000 individuals. Epistaxis is seen in more than 90% of patients with HHT. Severe recurrent epistaxis can significantly decrease quality of life and may be resistant to standard treatment measures. Dysregulation of angiogenesis has been shown to cause the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels. As such, antiangiogenic treatments have been investigated including beta-blockers.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review of the efficacy of beta-blockers in topical treatment of epistaxis in patients with HHT based on epistaxis duration, frequency, and severity.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed using the PubMed, Embase via Ovid, and Cochrane databases. The Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Studies that measured the efficacy of beta-blocker treatment of epistaxis in patients with HHT were included for qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

Five studies (3 randomized controlled trials and 2 case series) with a total of 132 patients were included. Administration (systemically or topically via a spray or gel) of timolol and propranolol showed mixed evidence of improvement in epistaxis frequency, severity, and duration when compared with control groups. The evidence for propranolol appears more promising than timolol.

CONCLUSION

There are significant limitations in the included studies, and further investigation with larger longitudinal or randomized prospective trials is recommended. The available evidence suggests that beta-blocker treatment may have a positive effect on HHT-related epistaxis.

TIMolol Nasal Spray as a Treatment for Epistaxis in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (TIM-HHT)—A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled, Cross-Over Trial

To date, there is no approved local therapeutic agent for the treatment of epistaxis due to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Several case reports suggest the topical use of timolol. This monocentric, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over study investigated whether the effectiveness of the standard treatment with a pulsed diode laser can be increased by also using timolol nasal spray. The primary outcome was severity of epistaxis after three months, while the main secondary outcome was severity of epistaxis and subjective satisfaction after one month. Twenty patients were allocated and treated, of which 18 patients completed both 3-month treatment sequences. Timolol was well tolerated by all patients. Epistaxis Severity Score after three months, the primary outcome measure, showed a beneficial, but statistically nonsignificant (p = 0.084), effect of additional timolol application. Epistaxis Severity Score (p = 0.010) and patients’ satisfaction with their nosebleeds after one month (p = 0.050) showed statistically significant benefits. This placebo-controlled, randomized trial provides some evidence that timolol nasal spray positively impacts epistaxis severity and subjective satisfaction in HHT patients when additively applied to standard laser therapy after one month. However, the effect of timolol was observed to diminish over time. Trials with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm these findings.

Validation of epistaxis severity score for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in Japan

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the health-related QoL (HR-QoL) of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), with emphasis on the role/social aspects, and validate the Japanese version of the epistaxis severity score (ESS) in these patients.

METHODS

The Japanese version of the ESS was created through forward and reverse translation, and consultation with the original author. A validation analysis was performed by comparing ESS severity with the invasiveness of previous treatments for epistaxis and assessing the correlation between the ESS and HR-QoL. Medical history forms, ESS questionnaires, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) were distributed to participants with HHT in August 2020. The relation between the ESS and summary scores of SF-36 was assessed by performing analysis of variance and Spearman's correlation.

RESULTS

In total, 73 participants were included in this study. The average ESS was 5.02; there were mild (32.9%), moderate (45.2%), and severe (21.9%) epistaxis groups. Patients with higher ESS received a significantly more invasive treatment (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05). The ESS was also negatively correlated with the physical component score (PCS) (r = -0.489, p < 0.001). Comorbid liver and gastrointestinal arteriovenous malformations significantly reduced the PCS (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the ESS was a significant variable (p < 0.01). The role/social component score was significantly lower in the severe ESS group than in the mild or moderate group.

CONCLUSION

The Japanese version of the ESS was considered valid and may be useful as an outcome measure of future HHT-associated epistaxis trials in Japan.