Colonic Haemorrhage from Solitary Submucosal Vessels Diagnosed by Lower Gastrointestinal Doppler-Endoscopy

Summary

The case of a 21-year-old woman presenting with acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage is reported. By means of Doppler-endoscopy, a solitary minute polyp located in the proximal ascending colon, which revealed arterial pulsation, was detected, and removed with the aid of forceps. The histological work-up revealed thick-walled, in part dilated, vessels located in the lamina propria and in the submucosa. Following endoscopic sclerotherapy, the patient has now been haemorrhage-free for the past 6 months. The lesion is very probably a Dieulafoy-like erosion, an entity which was previously known only in the stomach and jejunum, but which in more recent times has also been observed in the colon.

Key words:

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding - Dieulafoy-like erosion of the colon - Submucosal arterial vessels in the colon - Doppler-endoscopy