Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare condition characterised by vascular malformations mostly of the skin and gastrointestinal tract and less commonly of the central nervous system, liver, thyroid, spleen and lungs. We report a rare case of BRBNS in a patient on anticoagulation who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and no cutaneous or other organ involvement. We discuss the difficulty in balancing bleeding and clotting risks in this patient who developed two episodes of venous thromboembolism while off anticoagulation to minimise gastrointestinal bleeding. We also highlight the potential role of somatostatin analogues such as lanreotide in decreasing gastrointestinal bleeding risk in BRBNS, particularly in the setting of anticoagulation. The occurrence of two episodes of venous thromboembolism within a short time frame in this case, in conjunction with known associations between other vascular anomalies and venous thromboembolism, raises the question of whether BRBNS may be associated with a prothrombotic state.
Source: BMJ Case Reports
Authors: Aditya Mithanthaya, Ali Galalah Mostafa Ismail, Niroshan Muwanwella, Kannan Venugopal
Institution: Royal Perth Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4388564461