Gastric antral vascular ectasia: the evolution of therapeutic modalities

• Main Authors: Harini Naidu, Qin Huang, Hiroshi Mashimo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Georg Thieme Verlag KG 2014-05-01
• Series: Endoscopy International Open
• Online Access: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0034-1365525

Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE) may be an enigmatic source of non-variceal upper GI bleeding associated with various systemic diseases such as connective tissue disorders, liver disease, and chronic renal failure. Successful treatment of GAVE continues to be a challenge and has evolved through the years. Currently, given the rapid response, safety, and efficacy, endoscopic ablative modalities have largely usurped medical treatments as first-line therapy, particularly using argon plasma coagulation. However, other newer ablative modalities such as radiofrequency ablation, cryotherapy, and band ligations are promising. This paper is an overview of GAVE and its various endoscopic and medical therapies.