Successful treatment of bleeding from colonic angiodysplasias with tranexamic acid in a hemodialysis patient.

Colonic angiodysplasias are a common source of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is well known that bleeding from angiodysplasias can be a difficult therapeutic problem. This report describes a hemodialysis patient who suffered acute (massive) and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding from colonic angiodysplasias. Because endoscopic ablation could not be performed and resection of the colon was refused, pharmacological treatment with the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid was attempted. A successful management of both the acute and chronic bleeding was achieved. No complications in terms of arterial or venous thrombosis were observed.