Single Cavernous Hemangioma of the Small Bowel Diagnosed by Using Capsule Endoscopy in a Child with Chronic Iron-Deficiency Anemia

From Severe Anemia to Intestinal Hemangiomatosis, a Bumpy Road-A Case Report and Literature Review

Gastrointestinal hemangiomas (GIH) are unusual vascular tumors found anywhere alongside the GI tract, the small bowel being the most common site. Diagnosis requires good clinical insight and modern imaging. This is a comprehensive review of the literature, starting from a new pediatric case diagnosed through exploratory laparotomy after complex imaging techniques failed. This research was conducted on published articles from the past 25 years. We identified seventeen original papers (two series of cases with three and two patients, respectively, and fifteen case reports). The female/male ratio was 1.5. The youngest patient was a 3-week-old boy, and the was oldest a 17-year-old girl. The most common localization was the jejunum (eight cases), followed by the ileum (four), colon (three), stomach (two), and rectum (one). Seven children had cavernous and four had capillary hemangiomas. Eight patients presented gastrointestinal bleeding, seven had refractory anemia, such as our index patient, three had recurrent abdominal pain, and two had bowel obstruction. Surgical assessment was successful in fifteen cases; three cases experienced great outcomes with oral propranolol, one child was treated successfully with sirolimus, and for one patient, endoscopic treatment was the best choice. The authors present the case of a female patient admitted to the Pediatrics Department of "Grigore Alexandrescu" Emergency Children's Hospital from 25 February to 28 March 2019 for severe anemia, refractory to oral iron treatment, and recurrent blood infusions. No clear bleeding cause had been found. Although very uncommon, intestinal hemangiomas can express puzzling, life-threatening symptoms. We should keep in mind this disorder in cases of unresponsive chronic anemia.

Solitary Ileal Hemangioma in a 3-year-old Male

Hemangiomas are rare small bowel tumors requiring a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. We present a case of ileal hemangioma in a 3-year-old male presenting with recurrent anemia. The patient was diagnosed with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography abdomen and managed surgically by resection and anastomosis. Histopathologically, it was a solitary ileal cavernous hemangioma with a submucosal infiltrative pattern with serosa involvement and a normal mucosa.

Cavernous Hemangioma: A Rare Cause of Massive Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Due to their rarity, intestinal hemangiomas are not commonly considered as a cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. This report describes a patient who presented with massive, recurrent lower GI bleeding secondary to a cavernous hemangioma of the small intestine. The source of GI bleeding could not initially be identified despite using numerous diagnostic modalities. The lesion was eventually revealed on diagnostic laparoscopy and small bowel resection was performed.

Successful Endoscopic Sclerotherapy Using Polidocanol for Small Bowel Hemangioma

Small-bowel hemangiomas are a possible source of gastrointestinal bleeding for which there is no established treatment approach. In this report, we describe the case of a 58-year-old woman who presented with hematochezia and who was diagnosed with small bowel hemangioma. She was successfully treated using endoscopic sclerotherapy. Initial capsule endoscopy revealed bleeding in the ileum. Subsequent double-balloon enteroscopy showed a 2-cm, bluish-purple, ileal submucosal tumor with an overlying protrusion. The lesion was responsible for the hematochezia and was treated with intralesional injection of polidocanol. The hematochezia completely resolved and at 4 months after sclerotherapy, the size of the lesion was significantly reduced.

Unusual presentation of jejunal hemangioma on Tc-99m pertechnetate scan with single-photon emission computerized tomography-computed tomography

Small bowel hemangioma is a rare benign tumor in the pediatric population. The usual presentation of these tumors is melena, anemia, or hematochezia. Our case demonstrates the usefulness of Meckel's/Tc-99m pertechnetate scan with single-photon emission computerized tomography/computerized tomography in diagnosing a vascular lesion in the small bowel in a child presenting with melena, unresponsive to medical management. We present a case of incidentally detected jejunal hemangioma during Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy which would help the nuclear medicine physician and surgeon, to be cognizant of this atypical presentation in their clinical practice.

Small Bowel Hemangioma in a 2-Year-Old Female With Recurrent Anemia

Background

Hemangiomas of the small bowel are rare tumors that present with melena, hematochezia, or signs of anemia. Because of the rarity of gastrointestinal hemangiomas, they are not commonly considered in the differential diagnosis for pediatric patients with anemia.

Case Report

We present a case of small bowel hemangioma in a 2-year-old female with recurrent episodes of severe anemia. After resection of a 4.5 cm × 2 cm benign hemangioma, the patient's hemoglobin level steadily improved. The patient did not experience recurrence and has had no problems with activities of daily living.

Conclusion

Small bowel hemangiomas can cause serious life-threatening anemia or obstruction of the small bowel and should be considered in cases of pediatric anemia unresponsive to medical management.

Small intestinal hemangioma: Endoscopic or surgical intervention? A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Hemangioma of the small intestine is a rare vascular malformation. Before the advent of capsule endoscopy (CE) and balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE), preoperative diagnosis of this disease was extremely difficult.

CASE SUMMARY

In this study, we report a 24-year-old female with a large transmural small bowel cavernous hemangioma, which was diagnosed with CE and BAE preoperatively and removed successfully using minimally invasive surgery. Meanwhile, we perform a literature review of the studies about intestinal hemangiomas published after 2000. Literature review revealed that 91.9% of the lesions were diagnosed preoperatively by CE and/or BAE and 45.9% of them were treated endoscopically, which is a marked improvement compared to before 2000. Therefore, CE and BAE are useful modalities for the preoperative diagnosis of hemangiomas in the small intestine.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic treatment of intestinal hemangioma is generally prudent and might be suitable for multiple, relatively small lesions.

Cavernous Hemangioma of the Small Bowel: A Case Report and Literature Review

Hemangiomas of the small intestine are rare and very difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Clinical presentations may include occult or massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, obstruction, intussusception, and perforation. We report a 66-year-old Caucasian male patient with severe anemia secondary to occult GI bleeding from a cavernous hemangioma in the jejunum. A double balloon enteroscopy following capsule endoscopy was performed to obtain biopsy samples, which established the final diagnosis.