Long-acting octreotide is effective in controlling rebleeding angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract.
BACKGROUND
Management of bleeding angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract is often a major clinical problem. Lesions are frequently multiple, not detectable or missed during conventional endoscopy and patients are sometimes at high risk for complications because of advanced age and serious concomitant disorders.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of a new formulation of somatostatin analogue (octreotide long-acting) in management of recurrent bleeding angiodysplasia in patients resistant to endoscopic treatment and not suitable for surgery.


METHODS
Three patients with recurrent bleeding angiodysplasia of gastrointestinal tract were treated with long-acting octreotide administered intramuscularly 20 mg monthly to each individual. The number of admissions for acute bleeding, hospital stay and number of blood units transfused before and after treatment (followup: 15-17 months) were regularly monitored.


RESULTS
In each patient, a relevant decrease in number of hospital admissions, duration of hospital stay, number of administered blood units was seen and mean haemoglobin values significantly increased in all of them after introducing long-acting octreotide therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report on use of long-acting octreotide in bleeding angiodysplasia of gastrointestinal tract. Data suggest that long-acting octreotide is a safe drug and is successful in controlling recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding due to angiodysplasia in elderly patients not eligible for surgical or endoscopic therapy.
Orsi
P
P
Chair of Gastroenterology, University of Parma, Italy.
Guatti-Zuliani
C
C
Okolicsanyi
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016888:Angiodysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence
D006490:Hemostatics; D015282:Octreotide