- Blood in the stool.
- Vomiting blood (hematemesis)
- Anemia (iron deficiency)
- General abdominal pain or discomfort.
How is GAVE diagnosed?
GAVE is usually diagnosed definitively by
means of an endoscopic biopsy
. The tell-tale watermelon stripes show up during the endoscopy. Surgical exploration of the abdomen may be needed to diagnose some cases, especially if the liver or other organs are involved.
What is the treatment for GAVE?
Treatment options for GAVE include
endoscopic ablation (Nd:YAG-laser or argon plasma coagulation)
, surgical antrectomy or pharmacological therapy with oestrogen (and/or progesterone), tranexamic acid or thalidomide.
What is gave syndrome?
GAVE (Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia), also known as “Watermelon Stomach”, is
a condition in which the blood vessels in the lining of the stomach become fragile and become prone to rupture and bleeding
. The stomach lining exhibits the characteristic stripes of a watermelon when viewed by endoscopy.
How serious is GAVE disease?
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome, also known as watermelon stomach, is a rare but
significant cause of severe acute or chronic gastrointestinal blood loss in the elderly
.
What is the cause of GAVE?
While
there is no known direct cause of GAVE
, the condition is most common in those who have suffered from certain chronic conditions such as cirrhosis (poor liver function, or scarring of the liver), systemic sclerosis, CREST syndrome, atrophic gastritis and autoimmune disease.
Is watermelon stomach fatal?
The long-term outlook ( prognosis ) for people with watermelon stomach varies. Some affected people have continued or recurrent (appearing again) gastrointestinal bleeding even with treatment. These cases are often considered “transfusion-dependent” since regular blood transfusions are usually necessary.
Is gave rare?
GAVE syndrome (gastric antral vascular ectasia) is
a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding
. It affects mainly the elderly.
What is gastric Angioectasia?
Gastrointestinal (GI) angioectasia is
a vascular lesion characterized by vascular ectasias at the submucous sheath of the gastrointestinal tract
. Lesions can be flat or raised, isolated or grouped, and can break or ulcerate, causing acute hemorrhage or, more commonly, chronic bleeding [6].
What’s a watermelon stomach?
Watermelon stomach (WMS), or
gastric antral vascular ectasia
, is an uncommon but clinically important cause of chronic occult or overt gastrointestinal (GI) blood loss. Patients typically present with symptomatic anemia and hemoccult positive stools.
Is GAVE curable?
In conclusion, drug therapies
have no definite role in
the cure of GAVE-related bleeding and should be considered an experimental therapeutic approach in the setting of controlled clinical trials.
What causes Menetrier’s disease?
The exact cause of
Menetrier disease is unknown
. There may be multiple causes. In children, some cases of Menetrier disease may be associated with infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV). The bacterium Helicobacter pylori has been implicated in some adults with Menetrier disease.
What causes vascular ectasia?
It can be associated with long-term, chronic diseases, such as cirrhosis of the liver; autoimmune diseases, such as hardening and scarring of the skin (scleroderma); Raynaud’s disease; or kidney disease. The key problem with gastric antral vascular ectasia is
blood loss
.
What is APC FOR GAVE?
The current treatment of choice for GAVE is
endoscopic intervention with argon plasma coagulation
(APC).
7
. However recurrence-free survival at one year is achieved in less than 50% of the patients
8
and in addition rates of failed therapy of up to 14% have been reported.
3
.
Where is the antrum of the stomach?
Antrum:
the lower portion (near the small intestine)
, where the food mixes with gastric juice. Pylorus: the last part of the stomach, which acts as a valve to control the emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine.
Can you eat watermelon with gastritis?
According to research on diet and stomach ulcers, the following foods are allowed: milk, yogurt, and low-fat cheeses. vegetable oils and olive oil. some
fruits
, including apples, melons, and bananas.
