Imatinib-induced Gastrointestinal Vascular Ectasia in a Patient with Advanced GIST: Case Report and Literature Review.

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Imatinib-induced Gastrointestinal Vascular Ectasia in a Patient with Advanced GIST: Case Report and Literature Review.

Anticancer Res. 2016 11;36(11):6151-6154

Authors: Abu-Amna M, Awadie H, Bar-Sela G

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Imatinib is generally well tolerated in the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Gastrointestinal vascular ectasia (GIVE) and gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), while rare, are significant under-reported complications of imatinib therapy.
CASE REPORT: We present one patient with GIVE complicating imatinib therapy with a literature review of this rare side-effect.
RESULTS: A 68-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced GIST, wild-type CKIT. After 3 months of treatment with imatinib, she had partial response. However, she was diagnosed with GAVE and, later, also with GIVE. During her 3-year imatinib treatment, she suffered from severe anemia and required blood transfusions. Conservative treatments were not helpful and the ectatic lesions resolved only with cessation of imatinib.
CONCLUSION: This confirms a causal relationship between GIVE and imatinib. GIVE and GAVE should be considered possible causes of anemia and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving imatinib therapy.

PMID: 27793944 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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