Antiangiogenic Treatment of Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Experience of a Hungarian Center

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an inherited vascular bleeding disorder. The most common symptoms are recurrent, severe nosebleeds that occasionally necessitate intervention by an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialist, as well as iron-deficiency anemia. Telangiectasia is typically located in the nasal cavity, lips, tongue, fingertips, and the gastrointestinal mucosa. Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are located in internal organs (brain, lungs, liver, etc.). The family history is positive for HHT. The diagnosis is based on the Curacao criteria. The endoglin and activin receptor-like kinase 1 genes (ENG and ACVRL1) are the most common mutation sites, leading to elevated endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Center of Expertise for Rare Diseases at the University of Debrecen, spanning the period from 2010 to 2025. Records of patients referred with HHT were reviewed concerning demographic data, clinical presentations, laboratory findings, and treatment approaches. To evaluate management options, epistaxis severity was assessed using the Epistaxis Severity Score (ESS). Results: 48 HHT patients (21 male and 27 female) were included in this retrospective study. Genetic testing was positive in each case, showing mutations in the ENG (HHT1 subgroup) or ACVRL1 (HHT2 subgroup) genes. Most of the patients are followed-up with in our department. ESS was calculated at baseline and 6 months after antiangiogenic treatment by two independent physicians. Detailed computed tomography (CT) was performed in all patients. Seven patients were administered desmopressin, a synthetic analog of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), based on our previous experience in reducing bleeding in von Willebrand disease. Antiangiogenic therapy with thalidomide (50 mg oral tablets) was used in 24 patients, while bevacizumab was administered to 5 patients. Most patients experienced a remarkable decrease in epistaxis severity and a reduction in the need for transfusions (ESS before treatment: HHT1 patients, 4.15 ± 1.91 vs. ESS after treatment, 2.62 ± 0.99; HHT2 patients, 3.79 ± 3.19 vs. 2.02 ± 1.91). Subgroup analysis using paired ESS data showed a significant reduction in ESS in both HHT1 and HHT2 patients (p = 0.003 and p = 0.043, respectively). Bevacizumab further reduced the ESS, but the few cases were not suitable for statistical analysis. Serum iron levels significantly increased after antiangiogenic treatment in the HHT2 group (p = 0.01). Conclusions: HHT is a rare vascular bleeding disorder. Daily nosebleeds impair the patients’ quality of life and sometimes lead to severe transfusion-dependent iron-deficient anemia. Frequent hospitalization places a significant burden on the healthcare system. Thus, we have used treatment options for HHT patients that primarily act by inhibiting VEGF, and these treatment modalities have yielded successful results in our hands.