2001 Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 30-34
A 73-year-old man who had been receiving treatment for hypertension and angina pectoris was admitted to hospital following a transient ischemic attack. He was diagnosed as having chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) complicated by a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, and was treated with heparin sodium and a protease inhibitor. Although the DIC was controlled, the patient had to remain hospitalized in order to receive the medication by continuous infusion. Therefore, the heparin sodium and protease inhibitor were replaced by camostat mesilate, a drug suitable for oral administration and widely used for treatment of chronic pancreatitis. The drug proved effective for the chronic DIC, thus allowing the patient to receive regular treatment on an outpatient basis, and improving his quality of life.
