Management of preventing recurrent bleeding angiodysplasia of the intestinal tract with octreotide

Abstract

Objective: We assessed the efficacy of octreotide in a cohort of 25 patients admitted in the Internal Medicine Department for angiodysplasia bleeding (AB). Material and methods: We report the treatment results of octreotide in 25 patients admitted for AB from January 2003 to December 2007. They had never received octreotide. After discharge, they were followed up in our consult to a maximum of five years. Octreotide was prescribed (100μg/12h). Patients were diagnosed of angiodysplasia if they had iron deficit anemia with positive fecal occult blood test or macroscopic bleeding and there were no any other possible source of bleeding in the intestinal tract after a complete work-up including endoscopy and wireless video capsule endoscopy.