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Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (tuh-lan-jee-uk-TAY-zhuh), also known as HHT or Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, is an inherited disorder that affects blood vessels. In most cases, HHT isn't life-threatening. Currently there's no cure, but in many cases the symptoms can be effectively managed.
In people who have HHT, most of the body's blood vessels are normal. But some of the networks of blood vessels that join arteries to veins (capillaries) aren't correctly formed. In small blood vessels, these abnormalities are called telangiectases. When they occur in larger vessels, they're called arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). People who have HHT may have both kinds of malformations.
Telangiectases and AVMs cause health problems because they don't function normally. This can lead to a variety of symptoms depending on where the blood vessel abnormality is located. In some areas of the body — especially the lungs, brain and liver — these blood vessel abnormalities can be serious because they may bleed, don't allow for adequate oxygen levels in the blood, and can increase your risk of brain infections and stroke. Nosebleeds and bleeding within the intestines can also lead to anemia. The severity of HHT often varies significantly from person to person, even within the same family.
Mayo Clinic is an HHT Center of Excellence. An HHT Center of Excellence is a medical center that has been designated by the HHT Foundation International as an institution that can provide comprehensive care to meet all the medical needs of HHT patients.
At Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, specialists from across departments work together to diagnose and treat patients with HHT. These include specialists in medical genetics, pulmonary medicine and critical care, neurology, neurosurgery, ear, nose and throat (ENT), radiology, and gastroenterology and hepatology.
In addition, Mayo Clinic has one of the few clinical laboratories in the United States that performs the two most commonly ordered genetic tests for HHT, should you choose to use genetic testing to guide your family's care.
At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.
Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.
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