Treatment of chronic transfusion-dependent gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach) with thalidomide.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare condition causing chronic GI blood loss that often proves difficult to treat. Many patients require repeated transfusions despite best efforts made with endoscopic and pharmacological therapies. We attempted to manage a patient with endoscopic resistant GAVE with Thalidomide. Within 3 months the patient became transfusion independent and has maintained an adequate haemoglobin for 9 months on the Thalidomide therapy.