Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Showing Severe Anemia which was Successfully Treated with Estrogen

Abstract

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osier-Weber-Rendu disease) is a bleeding disorder attributed to a vascular developmental abnormality. It is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. A 63-year-old female was admitted because of repeated episodes of severe anemia which resulted from bleeding of telangiectases in the gastric mucosa. Conventional therapies including endoscopical microwave coagulation and ethanol injection were not effective. The persistent anemia necessitated frequent blood transfusion. Estrogen was orally administrated and blood transfusion became unnecessary. Thus, estrogen therapy should be considered as one of the effective treatments for recurrent severe anemia due to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. (Internal Medicine 34: 589-592, 1995). © 1995, The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. All rights reserved.