| Gastrointestinal Involvement (Main Menu) |
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| Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (Watermelon Stomach) |
| This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. Scleroderma (SD) affects everyone differently. See Disclaimer. |
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| What is Watermelon Stomach? |
| These symptoms may occur in systemic scleroderma but not in localized scleroderma, such as Linear and Morphea. See Types of Scleroderma. Just because something is listed here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience it. |
| Watermelon Stomach is the popular name for Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE) — 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. |
| Watermelon Stomach can occur in patients with Diffuse Systemic Scleroderma. |
| Watermelon Stomach belongs to a group of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding problems which are referred to as Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs.) Untreated, AVMs can cause chronic anemia or acute (sudden or severe) GI bleeding. AVMs can also cause vomiting of blood (hematemesis) or dark, tarry stools which contain blood (melena.) (Also see: Anemia) |
| Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE) in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc): a Systematic Review of the Literature. Although GAVE is a rare clinical entity, it should be considered in patients with SSc with iron-deficiency anemia. GAVE affects people with limited and diffuse SSc in equal proportions. Lisa Davis. 1194.426. ACR 2007. |
| Diagnosis |
| Diagnosis of Watermelon Stomach is most often made by Endoscopy. Often, AVMs aren't seen during selective angiography, endoscopic biopsy, or during surgery. They show up better during endoscopy because there's better blood flow to the stomach then than there is when a patient is under anesthesia and such. |
| Treatment |
| Watermelon stomach is treated very successfully with endoscopic laser surgery. |
| Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) associated with systemic sclerosis: relapse after endoscopic treatment by argon plasma coagulation. This case showed resistance to endoscopic treatment using argon plasma coagulation (APC). In spite of GAVE eradication by APC, a third recurrence of GAVE was observed after 32 months. PubMed. Intern Med. 2007;46(6):279-83. |
| A Patient's Perspective |
| I was told by my GI doc that he had seen a few other cases of watermelon stomach in Scleroderma patients. As it was explained to me, the blood vessels in the stomach come close to the surface and are bruised easily and leak blood. It's Telangiectasia — in the stomach. Endoscopy — with laser — does stop the bleeding. Sometimes it takes several treatments. Endoscopy is not at all painful. By Bonnie H., submitted for publication on ISN, 3/98. |
| Research |
| Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE) in Systemic Sclerosis. Nearly 75% of the patients were on PPIs at the onset of GAVE, and it is interesting that prolonged use of these medications has been linked to the development of atrophic gastritis, another disease associated with GAVE. New anemia, particularly in early dcSSc patients, should prompt the clinician to carefully evaluate for GAVE. Kristin M. Ingraham. 15/15. ACR 2007. |
| Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (Watermelon Stomach) in a Patient with Sjögren's Syndrome. Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a rare yet treatable cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, has been described in a variety of autoimmune diseases. After several fulguration therapies with argon-plasma coagulator, the mucosal lesions improved and her hemoglobin levels returned to normal. J Rheumatol NO. 5 MAY 2003;30:1090-2 (Also see: Sjogren's Syndrome) |
| Patient/Caregiver Stories: Watermelon Stomach |
| D.M. Hoffe: Progressive Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma CREST) After an endoscopy it was discovered I had a Watermelon Stomach... |
| James S: Son of Watermelon Stomach Sufferer Last year, my mother was diagnosed as a celiac. Since then a number of other problems have risen to the surface... |
| Jeri-Lou: Watermelon Stomach Since then I have had nine laser surgeries, two units of blood and six iron injections, which have only managed to bring my blood count up to a 9 count... |
| Jill K: Lupus with GAVE (Watermelon Stomach) My hemotologist and GI specialists are very supportive but I am so frustrated at how little any one seems to know about GAVE disease... |
| Marian: Watermelon Stomach Now the doctors tell me I have 'watermelon stomach', a condition where the blood vessels burst and bleed and I become very anemic... |
| Ray N: Watermelon Stomach This past Friday I had two more pints of blood, making nineteen in all. I felt like King Kong from Saturday until Monday afternoon... |
| Sheena: Systemic Sclerosis with Watermelon Stomach None of my doctors could understand how all my other complaints went with the watermelon stomach, but I knew they did... |
| Sue D: Diffuse Scleroderma Pain developed in my hands, then I noticed pain in my knees, then my shoulders, down my back, elbows, hips, feet... |
| Tui: Limited Systemic Scleroderma I am wondering whether such treatments will be ongoing? |
