Successful endoscopic electrocoagulation of gastric lesions of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia responsible for repeated hemorrhage

Coexistent hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and primary thrombocythaemia--coincidence or syndrome?

Two patients with coexistent hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and primary thrombocythaemia (PT) are presented. In one of them, both diseases were detected at the same time. In the other, signs of HHT were present 20 years prior to the diagnosis of PT. Both patients had recurrent gastrointestinal haemorrhage with consequent anaemia, and multiple gastric telangiectases were demonstrated endoscopically. Persistent and severe haemorrhage from gastric telangiectases in one of the patients was successfully controlled by endoscopic monopolar electrocoagulation. The very high platelet counts were reduced with melphalan in one patient and with busulfan in the other. The degree of severity of both disorders was parallel in both cases. We suggest that the coexistence of these two rare disorders in one and the same patient may represent a syndrome that could be more common than hitherto known.

Bleeding angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract

Bleeding angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract poses frustrating challenges to clinicians because these minute vascular lesions are difficult to diagnose pre-operatively and to locate intra-operatively. During the past 12 years, 24 patients were treated for histopathologically confirmed bleeding angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract. Pre-operative investigations and intra-operative localization followed a fixed protocol for patients with gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin. The median follow-up of these 24 patients was 51 months and the results of treatment for 22 patients were excellent. Two patients had recurrent bleeding but investigations failed to determine the bleeding source.

Long-term results of treatment of vascular malformations of the gastrointestinal tract by neodymium YAG laser photocoagulation

This study reports long-term results of treatment of vascular malformations of the gastrointestinal tract by neodymium YAG (Nd-YAG) laser photocoagulation in 60 patients (13 patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and 47 patients with angiodysplasias) and examines prognostic parameters of bleeding recurrence in 47 patients with angiodysplasias. In patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, the transfusion requirements were lower only in the second and third year following therapy than in the year before therapy; however, these differences were not significant. In patients with angiodysplasias, a median number of one laser session (range 1-8) was necessary to destroy angiodysplasias. A blood loss recurred in 15 patients. The cumulative probability of remaining free of blood loss recurrence at 24 months and at 54 months was 61 +/- 9%. Three parameters had an independent prognostic value, the initial number of angiodysplasias (P less than 0.02), the presence of coagulation disorders (P less than 0.05), and age (P less than 0.05).

Mucosal vascular malformations of the gastrointestinal tract: clinical observations and results of endoscopic neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser therapy

Ninety-three consecutive patients with transfusion-dependent gastrointestinal bleeding from vascular malformations (VMs) underwent systematic assessment in our gastrointestinal laser suite with extended upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy. Of these patients, 83 had angiodysplasia and 10 had the Osler-Weber-Rendu (OWR) syndrome. The median age in each of these groups was 70 and 63 years, respectively. Cardiovascular disease, especially valvular disease, was common. A poor correlation existed between the results of endoscopically identified VMs and visceral angiography in patients with angiodysplasia. A combination of upper and lower gastrointestinal VMs was found in 11% of patients with angiodysplasia and 60% of those with the OWR syndrome. All identified VMs were completely obliterated by photocoagulation with use of a neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Bleeding was successfully controlled in 9 patients with the OWR syndrome and in 72 patients with angiodysplasia (range of follow-up, 1 to 39 months). In 243 laser treatments, 3 perforations and 5 episodes of delayed bleeding occurred. This experience demonstrates that extended upper endoscopy is useful in identifying VMs and that gastrointestinal bleeding from VMs can be safely and successfully controlled with use of endoscopic Nd:YAG laser therapy.

Clinical spectrum of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu disease)

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu disease) is an autosomal dominant, systemic fibrovascular dysplasia in which telangiectases, arteriovenous malformations, and aneurysms may be widely distributed throughout the body vasculature. Major clinical manifestations include: recurrent bleeding from mucosal telangiectases and arteriovenous malformations; hypoxemia, cerebral embolism, and brain abscess due to pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas; high-output congestive heart failure and portosystemic encephalopathy from hepatic arteriovenous malformations; and a variety of neurologic symptoms due to central nervous system angiodysplasia. Therapy is primarily supportive, consisting of iron supplementation and blood transfusion. Septal dermoplasty and oral estrogens may allow prolonged remission of epistaxis, but permanent surgical cure of gastrointestinal bleeding is rarely feasible because of diffuse angiodysplasia of the alimentary tract. Ligation, resection, or embolization may be indicated for pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas. The prognosis and survival of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia are favorable, providing treatable complications are accurately diagnosed.

Intestinal vascular ectasia. Improving diagnostic capability poses therapeutic dilemma

A case of gastrointestinal bleeding in a 73-year-old man secondary to vascular ectasia is presented. The use of the 99m technetium-tagged erythrocyte scanning to localize the bleeding site and arteriography to document a vascular malformation strongly suggested this diagnosis. Elective hemicolectomy failed to eliminate bleeding, however. Endoscopic and surgical therapies are available for this condition, but the relative frequency of postoperative rebleeding requires conservatism in recommending surgical excision.