Improvement of Severe Systemic Sclerosis-associated Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia Following Immunosuppressive Treatment with Intravenous Cyclophosphamide
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Francesco Del Galdo; Sergio A. Jimenez; Steffan W. Schulz; Muhammad Maqsood; Nora Sandorfi; Marie S. O’Brien
- Source
- The Journal of Rheumatology. 36:1653-1656
- Subject
- medicine.medical_specialty
Systemic disease
Blood transfusion
Cyclophosphamide
medicine.medical_treatment
Immunology
Severity of Illness Index
Gastroenterology
Article
Scleroderma
Rheumatology
Internal medicine
medicine
Humans
Immunology and Allergy
Blood Transfusion
Infusions, Intravenous
Scleroderma, Systemic
Vascular disease
business.industry
Gastric antral vascular ectasia
Immunosuppression
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Combined Modality Therapy
Connective tissue disease
Surgery
Female
Laser Therapy
business
Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia
Immunosuppressive Agents
medicine.drug
- Language
- ISSN
- 1499-2752
0315-162X
Objective.We describe 3 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with severe, transfusion-dependent gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) refractory to laser ablation who showed remarkable clinical and endoscopic improvement following intravenous (IV) pulse cyclophosphamide (CYC) treatment.Methods.Review of clinical records and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy images from 3 patients with SSc and severe GAVE before and after treatment with IV pulse CYC.Results.IV CYC was followed by improvement and stabilization of hemoglobin levels, and marked reduction in blood transfusion requirements and the number and frequency of endoscopic laser treatments.Conclusion.IV pulse CYC immunosuppression was followed by remarkable clinical and endoscopic improvement of SSc-associated GAVE.