[Our experience on Rendu-Osler disease. Apropos of 19 cases]

We report a synthesis of our experience about the Osler-Weber-Rendu disease, based on a retrospective study of 19 cases collected from 1978 to 1995. Except the almost systematic recourse to anterior or posterior packings in 31% of cases, management of epistaxis in urgency has consisted of arteriography with embolization of the maxillary arteries. In this way, in two third of cases, the control of the epistaxis was obtained. In the other third, it was necessary to associate arteriography to a ligature of the ethmoidal arteries. As part of a preventive treatment of epistaxis we prefer, presently, to inject in situ a fibrin glue, which can be reviewed at the demand. These injections bring only exceptionally complications. The quality and duration of remission is judged satisfactory by the patients in 80% of the cases. Although no physio-pathological explanation can be brought, the intramuscular injections of fibrin glue could increase the duration of remission, which in this way, could diminish the frequency of injections in situ.