Background and study aims: Although colonic diverticular hemorrhage is a common cause of lower gastrointestinal
bleeding, the low rate of detection of the diverticula responsible for bleeding, together
with inadequate evaluation of endoscopic hemostasis, remain unsatisfactory.
Patients and methods: Over 3 years, we employed the hood method to diagnose diverticular hemorrhage in
53 patients and applied endoscopic band ligation (EBL) for hemostasis in 27 patients
with responsible diverticula.
Results: The hood method revealed active bleeding in 13 patients (24.5 %), nonbleeding visible
vessels in 14 patients (26.4 %), and presumptive diverticular hemorrhage in 26 patients
(49.1 %). The nonbleeding visible vessels were located in the diverticular dome in
13 patients and at the diverticular orifice in one patient. EBL was performed in 27
patients, and a hemostasis rate of 96.3 % was achieved. In 9 of 12 patients treated
with EBL, follow-up colonoscopy revealed resolution of the responsible diverticula.
Conclusions: The hood method improves the detection rate of diverticula responsible for bleeding
by revealing potential nonbleeding visible vessels in the diverticular dome. EBL may
become an effective procedure for hemostasis of colonic diverticular hemorrhage.
