title: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: a rare cause of severe anemia.
abstract: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant disease in which arteriovenous communications are typically seen in the skin, mucosal surfaces, lungs, brain and gastrointestinal tract. This disease typically presents as epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding and arteriovenous malformations (in the brain and lungs). Although the epistaxis and gastrointestinal bleeding can result in anemia, patients diagnosed with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia rarely present severe anemia. Herein, we report the case of a 49-year-old man with severe anemia and undiagnosed hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Wellington Alves
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Tiago Chagas
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Dalcin
authors.forename: Kelly Ribeiro
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Keli Cristina
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Gustavo Luis Nunes
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Pretto
authors.forename: Alessandra Naimaier
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bertolazi
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013683:Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis