Abstract

No optimal treatment modality is currently available for the treatment of recurrent epistaxis in HHT. In this review, different therapeutic concepts are discussed together with their pathophysiologic background. Patients often profess a preventive effect for nasal ointments and use packings which can be self-administed in the case of bleeding. An effective first-line treatment for physicians is the endonasal laser coagulation or argon plasma coagulation. A second line surgical procedure is septodermoplasty according to Saunders which can provide long-lasting relief if performed correctly. There have been reports on antifibrinolytic agents and hormones, but their efficacy has yet to be determined.

Keywords: Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, laser therapy, septodermoplasty, review