HEREDITARY HEMORRHAGIC TELANGIECTASIA AS A CAUSE OF IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

We reviewed cases with Rendu-Osler disease or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) between 1976 and 1989 in our area of internal medicine. Of the ten reported cases, six presented severe iron deficiency anemia-three as a result of repeated and intense epistaxis and the rest as a result of digestive losses. The most frequent clinical manifestations were: epistaxis (80%) and the presence of chracteristic mucocutaneous lesions easily explored by sight (80%). We emphasize the role of this disease as a cause of iron deficiency anemia and the importance of clinical exploration.