Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia during the Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia with Imatinib Mesylate

Intern Med. 2016;55(1):69-72. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.4166.

Abstract

This report describes three patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia who developed gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) during treatment with imatinib mesylate (IM). Cessation and/or switching from IM to nilotinib resulted in the alleviation of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and ectatic lesions. Furthermore, GI bleeding recurred after the re-administration of IM in one patient. Thus, we consider that the occurrence of GAVE in our patients was induced by IM. Although the precise mechanism of IM-GAVE is not understood, all patients took at least 400 mg/day of IM at the onset of GAVE. Thus, higher doses of IM (≥400 mg/day) may be a risk factor for IM-GAVE.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia / chemically induced*
  • Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Imatinib Mesylate / administration & dosage
  • Imatinib Mesylate / adverse effects*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyrimidines / administration & dosage*
  • Recurrence
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Imatinib Mesylate
  • nilotinib