acyclovir and Gastrointestinal-Hemorrhage

Topics: Acyclovir; Adult; Antiviral Agents; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Herpes Simplex; Humans; Pediatricians; Rectum; Young Adult

Somatostatin can be helpful after liver transplantation in some well-defined indications. In uncontrolled digestive haemorrhage, a short course of somatostatin therapy can be of great help in controlling the acute bleeding and to avoid emergency laparotomy. Somatostatin could also be helpful in bilio-pancreato-intestinal fistula, but in this case its advantage over elective surgical treatment remains to be confirmed.

Topics: Acyclovir; Alkaline Phosphatase; Amylases; Bilirubin; Female; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Humans; Liver Transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; Octreotide; Ranitidine; Somatostatin

We describe a patient with the unusual complication of massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to herpetic esophagitis, whose bleeding persisted despite a vigorous antireflux regimen but who responded dramatically to intravenous acyclovir. The patient is reported to underscore the importance of considering herpetic infection of the esophagus as a cause of severe gastrointestinal bleeding so that appropriate therapy may be instituted.

Topics: Acyclovir; Esophagitis; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Herpes Simplex; Humans; Immunosuppression Therapy; Middle Aged