What is the cause of GAVE?
While there is no known direct cause of GAVE, the condition is most common in those who have suffered from certain chronic conditions such as cirrhosis (poor liver function, or scarring of the liver), systemic sclerosis, CREST syndrome, atrophic gastritis and autoimmune disease.
What is the treatment for GAVE?
Treatment options for GAVE include endoscopic ablation (Nd:YAG-laser or argon plasma coagulation), surgical antrectomy or pharmacological therapy with oestrogen (and/or progesterone), tranexamic acid or thalidomide.
What is a GAVE in medical terms?
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome, also known as watermelon stomach, is a rare but significant cause of severe acute or chronic gastrointestinal blood loss in the elderly.
Is GAVE curable?
Despite surgical antrectomy being more invasive and having higher complications than endoscopic therapy, it is the only method to achieve a complete cure for GAVE.
How common is GAVE?
Endoscopic image of gastric antral vascular ectasia Although GAVE is considered a rare medical condition, it accounts for up to 4% of all non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeds.
Is GAVE autoimmune?
Up to 60% of patients with GAVE have also an autoimmune associated disease and show the presence of autoantibodies[10], therefore an autoimmune pathogenesis has been suggested.
Is watermelon stomach an autoimmune disease?
Introduction: Watermelon stomach (WS) or gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding described in a variety of autoimmune disorders. Association of watermelon stomach with Sjögren’s syndrome is extremely rare.
Is watermelon stomach fatal?
The prognosis or long-term outlook for people with watermelon stomach varies. Some people have continued or recurring gastrointestinal bleeding, even with treatment. These cases are often considered “transfusion-dependent”, since regular blood transfusions are usually necessary.
Does GAVE cause bleeding?
GAVE (Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia), also known as “Watermelon Stomach”, is a condition in which the blood vessels in the lining of the stomach become fragile and become prone to rupture and bleeding. The stomach lining exhibits the characteristic stripes of a watermelon when viewed by endoscopy.
What is Gabe syndrome?
What is GAVE syndrome?
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome is an uncommon cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and iron deficiency anaemia. We describe two cases of GAVE, one pernicious anaemia related and the other portal hypertension related.
What causes watermelon belly?
The exact cause of Watermelon stomach is unknown; however, it is often diagnosed in people with other chronic (long-term) conditions such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver and poor liver function), autoimmune disease, systemic sclerosis, and CREST syndrome.
What is the condition GAVE?
What does autoimmune fatigue feel like?
The fatigue from an autoimmune disease differs from the tiredness most people feel after long periods of work or exercise or when they haven’t slept well. It’s a feeling of exhaustion all the time that interferes with the ability to function.
What is a watermelon stomach?
Watermelon stomach is a condition in which the lining of the stomach bleeds, causing it to look like the characteristic stripes of a watermelon when viewed by endoscopy. Although it can develop in men and women of all ages, watermelon stomach is most commonly observed in older women (over age 70 years).