Angiodysplasia as a cause of severe hematochezia in a child with end-stage renal failure

Application of Argon Plasma Coagulation for Gastrointestinal Angiodysplasia in Children- Experience From a Tertiary Center

BACKGROUND

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has been applied in adults to treat various diseases, including vascular lesions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, angiodysplasia (AD) is an uncommon cause of pediatric GI bleeding, while the experience of treating AD with APC was rarely reported.

METHODS

Five children with AD in the GI tract successfully treated with APC were reviewed.

RESULTS

Three of the five patients were girls, and the age at diagnosis ranged from 1.5 months to 10.5 years of age. One patient with gastric AD manifested with tarry stool, and the rest had colonic AD, which caused various degrees of bloody stool. Three patients had evident anemia. All patients received an endoscopic diagnosis, and two had compatible findings in radiographic exams. Each patient underwent one APC treatment session, and none encountered procedure-related complications or re-bleeding.

CONCLUSION

AD can be an etiology of GI bleeding even in neonates. APC is an effective and safe therapy for symptomatic AD in children.

Arteriovenous malformation that caused prolapse of the colon and was treated surgically in an infant: a case report

Background

Various terms have been used to describe vascular lesions in the intestine, including angiodysplasia, arteriovenous malformation, and telangiectasia. Such lesions are common in adults and are typified by angiodysplasia, a type of arteriovenous malformation. In contrast, these lesions are rarely seen in the pediatric population. Angiodysplasia may cause gastrointestinal bleeding, which is sometimes an indication for treatment. Considering the high rate of recurrence after surgical treatment, conservative treatments are mainly chosen. We herein report an extremely rare case of a prolapsed colon due to an arteriovenous malformation successfully treated by resection in a 1-year-old girl. We also highlight the differences between pediatric and adult cases.

Case presentation

A girl developed bloody stools at 7 months of age. She visited another hospital at 1 year of age because of continuing moderate hematochezia and recent onset of rectal prolapse. Colonoscopy showed a protruding lesion located 15 cm from the anal verge, suggesting a submucosal vascular abnormality. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging at our hospital revealed the localized lesion with dilated blood vessels in part of the sigmoid colon; no other lesions were present in the gastrointestinal tract. Laparoscopic-assisted sigmoidectomy was performed. A subserosal vascular lesion was visualized and resected using end-to-end anastomosis. Pathologic examination of the 2.2 × 2.7-cm segment revealed several abnormally enlarged and ectatic blood vessels in the submucosa extending into the subserosa. The lesion was diagnosed as an arteriovenous malformation. The patient had a good clinical course without recurrence at the 2-year follow-up.

Conclusions

An arteriovenous malformation in the sigmoid colon may rarely cause intussusception and prolapse of the colon. Complete resection is a radical and potentially effective treatment. Computed tomography and colonoscopy were useful for evaluation of the lesion in the present case.

Colonic Angiodysplasia with a Huge Submucosal Hematoma in the Sigmoid Colon

Colonic angiodysplasia (AD) with bleeding as a comorbidity in the aging population is being increasingly reported. However, to our knowledge, there is no report on colonic AD accompanied by a huge hematoma. Herein, we report a case of colonic AD with a huge submucosal hematoma. A 75-year-old man with sudden melena was referred to our hospital. Helical computed tomographic angiography (CTA) revealed bleeding from the sigmoid colon. Additionally, colonoscopy showed a huge submucosal hematoma with bleeding in the sigmoid colon. As endoscopic hemostasis was difficult, sigmoidectomy was performed. The pathological diagnosis was colonic AD. The present case indicates that colonic AD should be considered in the differential diagnosis for melena. In addition, the case shows that helical CTA, which is a noninvasive imaging modality, is useful for the diagnosis of colonic AD and is as effective as colonoscopy and angiography for diagnosis.