Novel Role of Thalidomide in Treatment of Recurrent Gastrointestinal Bleeding due to Angiodysplasias: An Analysis of 7 Cases

Background: Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to angiodysplasia can be recurrent or persistent, and it has no specific drug therapy yet. Aims: To observe the therapeutic effect of thalidomide on recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding caused by gut angiodysplasia. Methods: Seven patients with gastrointestinal bleeding due to gut angiodysplasia were treated with thalidomide 100 mg daily for 4 months, and to compare the changes of bleeding frequency and hemoglobin levels before and during 4-month treatment with thalidomide. Results: The bleeding frequency of patients post-therapy was significantly less (P0.05), and the hemoglobin level was significantly increased (P0.01) as well as the clinical symptoms remarkably improved (P0.01) after 4 months' treatment with thalidomide. Conclusions: Thalidomide is effective to cease the recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with gut angiodysplasia.