1. Imatinib-induced Gastrointestinal Vascular Ectasia in a Patient with Advanced GIST: Case Report and Literature Review
- Author
-
Gil Bar-Sela, Mahmoud Abu-Amna, and Halim Awadie
- Subjects
Cancer Research ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ,Anemia ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Imatinib therapy ,Multimodal Imaging ,Gastroenterology ,Imatinib treatment ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,hemic and lymphatic diseases ,Internal medicine ,Ectasia ,medicine ,Humans ,neoplasms ,Aged ,GiST ,business.industry ,Gastric antral vascular ectasia ,Imatinib ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Oncology ,Positron-Emission Tomography ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Imatinib Mesylate ,Female ,030211 gastroenterology & hepatology ,Upper gastrointestinal bleeding ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,business ,Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia ,medicine.drug - 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.
- Published
- 2016