• G Tamagno, R Mioni, E De Carlo, P Maffei, D Rubello, and N Sicolo.
• Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Medical Clinic 111, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy.
• Dig Liver Dis. 2004 Dec 1;36(12):843-6.

AbstractWe describe the case of a patient with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and anaemia, who required repeated transfusions for about 1 year. Because of the absence of a certain diagnosis and of a surgical approach indication, we established long-acting octreotide therapy, obtaining clinical stabilisation and interruption of the transfusional need. Withdrawal of long-acting somatostatin analogue therapy was associated with renewal of bleeding that was again successfully stopped by continuous i.v. somatostatin administration followed by re-establishment of the long-acting octreotide therapy. We suggested, in absence of surgical indications and when only palliative therapies are available, a therapeutic approach with long-term SMS analogues in patients with lower digestive bleeding of a known or unknown source.

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