title: Deep vein thrombosis induced by thalidomide to control epistaxis secondary to hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.
abstract: 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.
authors: Accidents and Emergency Unit, Acute Medicine Department, Université Catholique de Louvain, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Penaloza
authors: Marie-Christiane
authors: MC
authors: Vekemans
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Lambert
authors: Cedric
authors: C
authors: Hermans
mesh_terms: D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II / Q000235:genetics; D000075202:Contraindications; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D013683:Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D013792:Thalidomide; C425364:ACVRL1 protein, human; D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II