Systemic Bevacizumab for Severe Bleeding From Acquired Gastrointestinal Vascular Malformations.

These lesions cause severe anemia, dependence on intravenous iron and/or red-cell transfusion, and recurring hospitalizations.

Therefore, bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF-A monoclonal antibody, is a promising targeted therapeutic.

The median Hematologic Support Score (a composite endpoint integrating red-cell units transfused and elemental iron infused) improved from 15.04 (95% CI, 11.16-21.80) red-cell unit equivalents during 6 months pretreatment to 4.08 (4.00-8.00) during Months 1-6 of bevacizumab treatment (p < 0.001) and further to 0.00 (0.00-5.40) during months 7-12 (p < 0.001).