| Abstract: | Background : Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), as a cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, has been treated surgically, endoscopically and pharmacologically for the past 20 years. Methods : We analyzed the clinical effect of endoscopic treatment for 12 cases of GAVE diagnosed at Osaka National Hospital between January 1993 and October 1998. Results : Eight of the 12 cases were treated endoscopically due to marked anemia and histories of gastrointestinal bleeding. All had chronic liver disease (CLD). Mean age was 69 years on diagnosis. Male to female ratio was 1 : 1. Gastric antral vascular ectasia was a cause of 3.9% of bleeding associated with CLD. The modes of endoscopic treatment of the eight cases were laser photocoagulation (1), electrocautery (3), and heater probe thermocoagulation (4). The initial treatment required an average of 5.1 sessions over a period of 43 days. Initial hemostasis was successful in all cases. Treatments for recurrent bleeding were necessary in six cases within 9.2 months, and endoscopic coagulation was again effective in two cases. Corticosteroids were effective in two of three cases resistant to endoscopic therapy. Mean follow‐up period after initial treatment was 2.8 years. The mean total number of therapeutic endoscopy sessions was 9.6. Conclusion : Endoscopic treatments and/or corticosteroids have yielded sufficient results in the hemorrhage of GAVE. Factors affecting the recurrence of GAVE need to be analyzed in CLD patients. |
