Estrogen-progesterone treatment of Osler-Weber-Rendu disease

How to manage patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia is a rare systemic autosomal dominantly inherited disorder of the fibrovascular tissue with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Diagnosis is based on the clinical Curaçao criteria or molecular genetic testing. Dilated vessels can develop into telangiectases or larger vascular malformations in various organs, calling for an interdisciplinary approach. Epistaxis and gastrointestinal bleeding can result from these vascular defects. Various conservative and interventional treatments have been described for these conditions. However, no optimal therapy exists. Treatment can become especially difficult due to progressive anaemia or when anticoagulant or anti-thrombotic therapy becomes necessary. Screening for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) should be performed in all confirmed and suspected patients. Treatment by percutaneous transcatheter embolotherapy and antibiotic prophylaxis is normally effective for PAVM. Cerebral or hepatic vascular malformations and rare manifestations need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action for treatment.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Background:

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder, which affects various internal organs and has a tendency for bleeding. It has a classic triad of mucocutaneous telangiectasias, recurrent hemorrhages and positive familial history of first-degree relative. Epistaxis or gastrointestinal telangiectasia can be fatal in a small number of cases.

Case Report:

A 44-year-old woman came with complaints of recurrent episodes of hematemesis and epistaxis. Patient had a family history of similar complaints. Patient underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which revealed telangiectasia in the stomach. Imaging of the abdomen showed features suggestive of arteriovenous shunting.

Conclusion:

HHT can remain undiagnosed for a long time, and is rarely being reported in the literature with management needing a multidisciplinary approach with early inputs from a gastroenterologist.

Pericytes as targets in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Defective paracrine Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling between endothelial cells and the neighboring mural cells have been thought to lead to the development of vascular lesions that are characteristic of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). This review highlights recent progress in our understanding of TGF-β signaling in mural cell recruitment and vessel stabilization and how perturbed TGF-β signaling might contribute to defective endothelial-mural cell interaction affecting vessel functionalities. Our recent findings have provided exciting insights into the role of thalidomide, a drug that reduces both the frequency and the duration of epistaxis in individuals with HHT by targeting mural cells. These advances provide opportunities for the development of new therapies for vascular malformations.

Treatment of the skin manifestations of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with pulsed dye laser

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a familial disorder, in which variably sized arteriovenous malformations develop in the skin, respiratory tract, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Bleeding is a major problem in the abnormal vessels, primarily in the nose and internal lesions. Skin lesions, in contrast, do not generally bleed spontaneously but pose a significant cosmetic concern. The lesions are characteristically small caliber vessels located in the dermis. As such, they are ideal targets for vascular lesions. Eight patients with cutaneous facial lesions of HHT were treated by pulsed dye laser. All patients exhibited excellent (75-100%) clearance after a mean of 2.6 treatments (range 1-8). In comparison, a control group of patients with non-HHT facial telangiectasia required a mean of 1.9 (range 1-5; p < 0.05) treatments. No adverse events were reported in either group. The study confirms the safety and efficacy of PDL in the management of the cutaneous lesions of HHT.

Deep vein thrombosis induced by thalidomide to control epistaxis secondary to hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Thalidomide was recently reported to reduce the severity and frequency of epistaxes in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). We here describe the case of a patient with HHT and severe epistaxes refractory to medical and local surgical treatments who developed an extensive deep vein thrombosis shortly after initiation of treatment with thalidomide. This is the first report of venous thromboembolic complication induced by thalidomide prescribed in this setting. Although thalidomide was recently found to provide an alternative therapeutic strategy in patients with HHT and refractory epistaxes, this agent should be used with great caution in this indication, given its thrombogenicity and difficulties to manage systemic anticoagulation in patients with HHT.

Rendu-Osler disease: treatment with oestrogen/progestagen versus octreotide

In Rendu-Osler disease, haemorrhages due to gastrointestinal vascular malformations are common. Surgical and endoscopic treatments for haemorrhage due to gastrointestinal vascular malformations are compromised when lesions are diffuse, escape identification or are inaccessible to treatment. Hormonal treatment with oestrogen and progestagens is still controversial based on contradictory results from two randomised clinical trials. Although somatostatin and its long-acting analogue, octreotide, have been reported to be beneficial in preventing rebleeding, there is no consensus on this type of treatment. This case report shows how the combination of ethinyloestradiol and norethisterone markedly reduced the need for blood transfusions with few side effects in one patient; in comparison, octreotide seems less effective but this could be related to a worsening of the disease.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: from molecular biology to patient care

SUMMARY

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant vascular disorder characterized by severe and recurrent nosebleeds, mucocutaneous telangiectases, and, in some cases, life-threatening visceral arteriovenous malformations of various types, including pulmonary, hepatic, cerebral, and spinal. Gastrointestinal telangiectases are frequent and may cause severe bleeding. HHT type 1 results from mutations in ENG on chromosome 9 (coding for endoglin), and HHT type 2 results from mutations in ACVRL1 on chromosome 12 (coding for activin receptor-like kinase 1). Mutations of either of these two genes account for most clinical cases. In addition, mutations in MADH4 (encoding SMAD4), which cause a juvenile polyposis/HHT overlap syndrome, have been described, and recently, an HHT3 locus on chromosome 5 (5q31.3-5q32) has been reported. The mutated genes in HHT encode proteins that modulate transforming growth factor-beta superfamily signaling in vascular endothelial cells. Management of patients has changed considerably in the last 20 years, in terms of both treatment and the prevention of complications. The goal of this review was to describe the underlying molecular and cellular physiopathology, explore clinical and genetic diagnostic strategies for HHT, and present clinical management recommendations in order to treat symptomatic disease and to screen for vascular malformations.

Extensive Osler-Rendu disease in a breast cancer patient: increasing hepatic arteriovenous malformations under endocrine therapy mimicking liver metastases

BACKGROUND

Undefined, increasing hepatic lesions are a common issue in the follow-up care of breast cancer patients and frequently result in invasive diagnostic procedures.

CASE REPORT

This case report describes the diagnostic approach in the case of a 58-year-old breast cancer patient with a previously unknown visceral involvement of Osler-Rendu disease. The patient was admitted to our institution because of newly diagnosed, increasing hepatic lesions occurring during endocrine treatment with aromatase inhibitors. On the basis of ultrasound findings, secondary liver metastases were suspected. After a thorough clinical and imaging examination, we reviewed the literature on typical radiological findings of visceral involvement of Osler-Rendu disease, and the impact of endocrine treatment on arteriovenous malformations. Multislice computed tomography scan identified the hepatic lesions as arteriovenous malformations. In the current literature, there are no reports available on the interaction between aromatase inhibitors and arteriovenous malformations. However, some data do show an effect of endocrine therapy with estrogen/progesterone, or tamoxifen on arteriovenous malformations, although some of the results are partially contradictory.

CONCLUSION

This case report demonstrates that for undefined hepatic lesions in breast cancer patients, extensive Osler-Rendu disease should be considered as a potential differential diagnosis. Furthermore, we discuss the possible influence of aromatase inhibitors on arteriovenous malformations.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: diagnostic and therapeutic approach

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is defined as an intermittent or continuous loss of blood in which the source has not been identified after upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. It constitutes a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the general internist and the gastroenterologist. This article provides an overview of the etiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic modalities of OGIB including push enteroscopy, double balloon enteroscopy, wireless capsule endoscopy, enteroclysis, angiography, bleeding scanning with labeled red blood cells, and surgery with intraoperative enteroscopy. Therapeutic modalities including iron replacement, combined hormones, octreotide acetate, therapeutic endoscopy, and surgery are also discussed. In addition, a rational approach to patients with OGIB according to the clinical presentation is presented herein.

Long-term efficacy of octreotide in the prevention of recurrent bleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasia

OBJECTIVES

Preliminary studies suggested that octreotide may be therapeutic in bleeding angiodysplasia. Our aim was to investigate the efficacy of long-term octreotide therapy in the prevention of rebleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasia.

METHODS

A cohort of 32 patients diagnosed with bleeding from angiodysplasia was treated with octreotide 50 mu 12 h subcutaneously for a 1-2 yr period. This cohort was compared with an external control group (38 patients who had received placebo [1 tablet/day] in a concurrent randomized clinical trial for the same period.

RESULTS

Two patients of the octreotide group were lost to follow-up. Treatment failure occurred in seven of 30 (23%) patients in the octreotide group and in 17 of 35 (48%) in the placebo group (three dropouts before first visit) (P= 0.043). The actuarial probability of remaining free of rebleeding at 1 and 2 yr of follow-up was 77% and 68%, respectively, for the octreotide group and 55% and 36%, respectively, for the placebo group (log rank P= 0.030). Multivariate proportional hazards-regression analysis showed that octreotide therapy and previous bleeding episodes were positive and negative predictors of efficacy, respectively. No significant differences between the groups were observed according to number of bleeding episodes (0.4 +/- 0.7 vs 0.9 +/- 1.5, P= 0.070) and transfusion requirements (1.1 +/- 2.6 vs 0.7 +/- 1.5 units); however, iron requirements were lower in the octreotide than in the placebo group (22 +/- 62 vs 166 +/- 267 units; P < 0.001). Likewise, major adverse events (1 vs 1) and mortality (0 vs 1) were similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that octreotide treatment may be beneficial in preventing rebleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasia.

Pharmacological therapy of vascular malformations of the gastrointestinal tract

Vascular malformation (AVM) in the gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon, but not rare, cause of bleeding and iron deficiency anemia, especially in an aging population. While endoscopic coagulative therapy is the method of choice for controlling bleeding, a substantial number of cases require additional therapy. Adjunctive or even primary phamacotherapy may be indicated in recurrent bleeding. However, there is little evidence-based proof of efficacy for any agent. The bulk of support is derived from anecdotal reports or case series. The present review compares the outcome of AVM after no intervention, coagulative therapy or focus on pharmacological agents. Most of the literature encompasses two common AVMs, angiodysplasia and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Similarly, the bulk of information evaluates two therapies, hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and the somatostatin analogue octreotide. Of these, the former is the only therapy evaluated in randomized trials, and the results are conflicting without clear guidelines. The latter therapy has been reported only as case reports and case series without prospective trials. In addition, other anecdotally used medications are discussed.

Hormonal and Antihormonal Therapy for Epistaxis in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Objectives were to assess available information on hormonal therapy for bleeding in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), to determine whether there is a role for hormonal therapy as an initial therapeutic option, and to report the second known case of response in HHT to antihormonal therapy.

STUDY DESIGN

Literature review and case report.

METHODS

The literature on hormonal and antihormonal therapy for HHT was reviewed. Medical records for the case reported in the present study were evaluated to confirm the diagnosis and assess responses to surgical and nonsurgical treatments.

RESULTS

All reports of success using hormonal therapy for HHT-related bleeding were either retrospective or uncontrolled with the exception of two. Anecdotal evidence with high-dose estrogen appeared to show success, but serious side effects have discouraged use. One controlled trial found no benefit for intermediate dose, single-agent estrogen. The other controlled trial appeared to show benefit with low-dose estrogen-progesterone in HHT with gastrointestinal tract bleeding and was supported by an uncontrolled study showing efficacy in epistaxis. The case reported in the present study demonstrated long-term cessation of epistaxis with tamoxifen in a postmenopausal woman.

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic estrogen-progesterone at doses used for oral contraception may eliminate bleeding in symptomatic HHT and is a reasonable initial option in fertile women. There is no information on possible effects of lower-dose estrogen-progesterone used in postmenopausal women for hormone replacement therapy. Tamoxifen has dramatically eliminated HHT-related bleeding in two cases. It is well tolerated in postmenopausal women and should be considered for randomized clinical trials.

Diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to report our experience with treating GI bleeding in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).

METHODS

Consecutive patients with GI bleeding referred to the Yale University Vascular Malformation Center underwent clinical evaluation and endoscopy. Hb and blood transfusion requirements for 1 yr before and after evaluation were documented. Patients with a mean Hb <or= 8 mg/dl or blood transfusion requirements >or= 12 units packed red blood cells (PRBC)/yr were defined as patients with significant bleeding. Drug therapies, including ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone, danazol, and aminocaproic acid, were prescribed on an individual patient basis.

RESULTS

The study included 43 HHT patients with a mean age of 57 yr. Endoscopy revealed telangiectases in the esophagus (1/41), stomach (33/41), duodenum (33/41), jejunum (5/9), and colon (10/32). Patients with > 20 telangiectases visualized on esophagogastroduodenoscopy had a significantly lower mean Hb of 7.9, compared with 9.4 (p = 0.007), and a trend toward higher blood transfusion requirements. Non-HHT-related causes of GI bleeding were diagnosed in four patients. During a mean follow up of 18.9 months, the group of 40 patients with HHT-related bleeding had improvements in their mean Hb and blood transfusion requirements.

CONCLUSIONS

Some HHT patients with GI bleeding improve on drug therapies, but others fail. Transfusion-dependent GI bleeding is difficult to manage, and optimal management may include both medical and endoscopic treatments.

Medical therapy for chronic gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combined hormonal therapy in patients with recurring occult gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin.

METHODS

This was a prospective longitudinal observational study. The setting was an outpatient private practice affiliated with a large university-based hospital. A total of 43 patients, comprising 14 men and 29 women with a mean age of 74 yr (range 48-86 yr), were included. They had a history of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown origin for a period of > 1 yr and had required multiple hospitalizations and transfusions. Patients were initially treated with one Enovid 5-mg tablet containing 5 mg norethynodrel and 75 microg of mestranol. Enovid became commercially unavailable and treatment was changed to Ortho-Novum 1/50, containing 1 mg norethindrone and 0.05 milligrams of mestranol, given one tablet b.i.d. Patients were treated and followed for a mean time of 535 days (range 25-1551 days). All patients acted as their own controls and were followed for compliant behavior with periodic hematocrit, serial stool hemoccults, medication counts, and clinical histories regarding transfusion requirements or hospitalization for bleeding or anemia.

RESULTS

Of 43 patients who initially entered the study, 38 were treated with combination hormonal therapy. The remaining five patients were treated with estrogen alone. In 25 patients, initial enteroscopy revealed AVMs in the stomach or proximal small bowel and these were cauterized. In the remaining 18 patients no source of bleeding was found. None of the 38 patients who were treated with combination hormonal therapy rebled as long as they continued their prescribed dosage. All five of the patients treated with estrogen alone had rebleeding episodes. There was no statistical difference with respect to AVM cauterization in the rebleeding rate between those patients who underwent cauterization of their AVMs and those who did not. Side effects of combination hormonal therapy occurred in 11 patients and all were considered to be mild. Seven of these 11 patients (64%) elected to continue treatment.

CONCLUSION

In this long-term observational study, combination hormonal therapy was shown to stop rebleeding in patients with occult gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin.

Use of estrogen therapy in a patient with gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to arteriovenous malformations

OBJECTIVE

To describe a patient with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding caused by arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) that was treated with estrogen therapy.

CASE SUMMARY

A 70-year-old white man was diagnosed with multiple AVMs in the cecum, duodenum, and stomach. Pharmacologic management included the use of ferrous sulfate; however, the patient continued to have recurrent bleeding that required multiple transfusions and endoscopic cauterization. Therapy was initiated with ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg po qd; no further transfusions have been required for 10 months.

DISCUSSION

It is estimated that AVMs of the GI tract account for 1-8% of upper GI bleeding episodes and up to 6% of lower GI bleeding episodes. Hormonal agents have been reported to decrease bleeding in patients with both hereditary and acquired AVMs.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of estrogen therapy in treating AVMs of the GI tract is unclear and supported by only one clinical study.

A retrospective study of the role of the argon laser in the management of epistaxis secondary to hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Epistaxis is a common symptom in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. It may vary in severity from infrequent mild bleeds to regular severe bleeding, the latter requiring multiple blood transfusions. Laser, which can be used to coagulate the telangiectasia without destroying the overlying nasal mucosa, would theoretically seem to be the ideal mode of treatment. In this pilot study, an argon laser has been used on nineteen patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and is shown to be beneficial in patients with mild or moderate epistaxis. Patients with severe epistaxis, or who fail argon laser treatment, are candidates for alternative therapeutic strategies such as a modified Young's procedure.

Liver transplantation for hepatic arteriovenous malformation in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Symptomatic hepatic involvement is a rare complication of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and most commonly consists of fibrosis or cirrhosis. We describe a 33-year-old woman in whom multiple hepatic arteriovenous malformations led to high output cardiac failure and liver failure due to biliary necrosis with refractory biliary sepsis, requiring orthotopic liver transplantation. Hepatic arteriovenous malformations were the first manifestation of the disease and a similar asymptomatic hepatic tumour was subsequently detected in her 60-year-old father who also had the classical cutaneous stigmata of the syndrome. Unrecognised genetic factors may determine the clinical spectrum of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia including the hepatic manifestations.

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia: Young's procedure in the management of epistaxis

Two cases of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia are presented. Epistaxis was intractable in both patients. Young's procedure proved successful in controlling nose bleeds. One of the patients has been followed-up for 14 years. Methods of treatment are discussed with a review of the literature.

Success of estrogen-progesterone therapy in long-standing bleeding gastrointestinal angiodysplasia. Report of a case

Gastrointestinal angiodysplasia is a common cause of occult bleeding. Surgical and endoscopic treatments are often ineffective. Recently, estrogen-progesterone therapy proved to be effective in these patients. We describe herein an 84-year-old man who presented with prolonged gastrointestinal bleeding, in whom treatment with estrogen-progesterone stopped the bleeding. We suggest that hormonal therapy should be considered in cases of prolonged obscure gastrointestinal bleeding thought to be due to angiodysplasia. This therapy should be instituted intermittently for a prolonged period. The role of progesterone, especially in men, should be reconsidered.

Angiodysplasia and von Willebrand's disease type IIB treated with estrogen/progesterone therapy

The association between angiodysplasia and von Willebrand's disease was first reported in 1967. The cases reported to date have involved patients with type I and IIA von Willebrand's disease. We report a patient with type IIB von Willebrand's disease who suffered gastrointestinal bleeding attributable to gastric angiodysplasia. The patient underwent endoscopic electrocautery acutely and has been treated long-term with estrogen/progesterone therapy. She has suffered no recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding at over 11 months of follow-up. We suggest hormonal therapy as an alternative to repeated blood product transfusion or extensive surgical resection in patients with von Willebrand's disease and gastrointestinal bleeding from angiodysplasia.

Treatment of bleeding gastrointestinal vascular malformations with oestrogen-progesterone

10 patients with frequent and severe bleeding from gastrointestinal vascular malformations took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial of a daily dose of 0.05 mg ethinyloestradiol plus 1 mg norethisterone given by mouth. Each arm of the trial lasted 6 months. Oestrogen-progesterone significantly decreased the transfusion need from 10.9 to 1.1 units packed cells (p less than 0.003). While on oestrogen-progesterone 2 of 9 patients required transfusions (mean 1.1 units packed cells per patient over 6 months), whereas all patients had to be transfused while on placebo (mean 10.9 units per patient over 6 months; p = 0.002 for number of patients). No significant excess of side-effects was noted with the active agents. The findings indicate that oestrogen-progesterone is an effective treatment for severely bleeding gastrointestinal vascular malformations.