Estrogen/progesterone treatment of diffuse antral vascular ectasia

A case of acute and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to antral vascular ectasia is presented. The pattern of antral vascular ectasia was the diffuse form. After attempted treatment with endoscopic laser photocoagulation proved ineffective, the bleeding was treated with an estrogen/progesterone combination. The bleeding ceased with this medical therapy. The lesion of antral vascular ectasia persisted, however, despite the cessation of bleeding. Attempted maintenance therapy, consisting of reduction in frequency of estrogen/progesterone therapy to every third day, resulted in resumption of bleeding, requiring reinstitution of daily therapy for control.