Diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for small bowel vascular lesions.

Small bowel vascular lesions, including angioectasia (AE), Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) and arteriovenous malformation (AVM), are the most common causes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Since AE are considered to be venous lesions, they usually manifest as a chronic, well-compensated condition. Subsequent to video capsule endoscopy, deep enteroscopy can be applied to control active bleeding or to improve anemia necessitating blood transfusion. Despite the initial treatment efficacy of argon plasma coagulation (APC), many patients experience re-bleeding, probably because of recurrent or missed AEs. Pharmacological treatments can be considered for patients who have not responded well to other types of treatment or in whom endoscopy is contraindicated. Meanwhile, a conservative approach with iron supplementation remains an option for patients with mild anemia. DL and AVM are considered to be arterial lesions; therefore, these lesions frequently cause acute life-threatening hemorrhage. Mechanical hemostasis using endoclips is recommended to treat DLs, considering the high re-bleeding rate after primary APC cauterization. Meanwhile, most small bowel AVMs are large and susceptible to re-bleeding therefore, they usually require surgical resection. To achieve optimal diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for each type of small bowel lesion, the differences in their epidemiology, pathology and clinical presentation must be understood.

High variation in treatment strategies for gastrointestinal angiodysplasias.

OBJECTIVE: Angiodysplasias (ADs) are the second leading cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly. The impact extends from no symptoms to chronic anaemia. Treatment guidelines are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the current practice of gastrointestinal ADs and explore possible new research areas. On the basis of existing evidence, we would like to propose a treatment algorithm. METHODS: We administered a 19-item web-based survey to gastroenterologists in the Netherlands between February and April of 2015. RESULTS: A total of 111 (response rate 28%) gastroenterologists completed the survey (mean age=47 years; 24% women). The respondents identified Von Willebrand disease (17%), chronic kidney disease (21%) and aortic stenosis (77%) as risk factors for the development of ADs. Colonoscopy (54%) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (43%) were the preferred first tools to screen for ADs. The favoured (77%) first treatment option is endoscopic argon plasma coagulation, whereas 20% start iron supplementation or blood transfusions. Treatment strategy is mostly (65%) based on the location of the ADs. Small bowel ADs are considered the most difficult to treat, because of the need for balloon enteroscopy. Of the gastroenterologists, 13% would treat ADs as a coincident finding during endoscopy. Medical therapy is mostly started in refractory ADs, and thalidomide (40%) is preferred over octreotide (19%). Thalidomide is more preferred by gastroenterologists working in a teaching hospital. CONCLUSION: Identification of risk factors and treatment of ADs vary widely between gastroenterologists in the Netherlands. Further research is needed to create an evidence-based guideline and thereby optimize the management of symptomatic ADs.

[A woman in her 60s with multifactorial anaemia]. / En kvinne i 60-årene med kombinert anemi.

Anaemia may be multifactorial in origin. We present a woman with autoimmune hepatitis and secondary warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and most likely also concomitant anaemia of chronic disease. A relapse of autoimmune haemolysis was successfully treated with steroids and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin. At the same time, bleeding from angiodysplasia in the coecum was masked by unauthorised perorally administrated iron. No other cause of bleeding was found. During that period, she required extensive blood transfusions, up to several times per month. Surgical or endoscopic treatment of the bleeding angiodysplasia was not possible. Alloimmunisation developed as a complication to the large number of transfusions, despite the use of steroids. Treatment with somatostatin analogue markedly reduced the need of our patient for blood transfusions for a follow-up period of more than one year, and she has not experienced any side effects. We do not know how long the haemostasis achieved will last, however, we believe that this treatment may be an alternative for other patients as bleeding from angiodysplasia is not uncommon and is often difficult to eradicate.

Unexplained iron deficiency anaemia: Is it worthwhile to perform capsule endoscopy?

BACKGROUND: In around 30% of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) cases a definite diagnosis cannot be made. AIM: To investigate the role of capsule endoscopy (CE) in detecting lesions in patients with unexplained IDA after a negative endoscopic, serologic and haematologic diagnostic work up and its possible role in influencing clinical outcome. METHODS: 138 patients suffering from IDA were identified among 650 consecutive patients undergoing CE at our unit. RESULTS: CE revealed the following positive findings in 91/138 patients: angiodysplasias in 51 patients; jejunal and/or ileal micro-ulcerations in 12; tumours/polyps in 9; erosive gastritis in 4; Crohn's disease in 5; jejunal villous atrophy in 5; a solitary ileal ulcer in 1 and active bleeding in the last 4 patients. Follow up data were available for 80/91 patients (87.9%). In 15 out of 46 patients with angiodysplasias IDA spontaneously resolved without any treatment; 9 patients required iron supplementation; 10 patients healed after lanreotide administration; APC was performed in 9 out of 46 patients and 3 patients underwent regular blood transfusion without any success on IDA. 10 out of the 12 patients with small bowel micro-ulcers spontaneously recovered from IDA whilst 2 patients after iron supplementation. All 9 patients affected by tumours/polyps were surgically addressed. In all erosive gastritis cases, patients recovered from IDA after PPI and Helicobacter pylori eradication. Four patients with Crohn's disease diagnosis restored to health with medical therapy. One out of the 4 patients with jejunal villous atrophy and the sole patient with a solitary ileal ulcer spontaneously healed. In 1 out of 3 patients with active bleeding IDA resolved without further treatment after blood transfusion whilst 2 patients were referred for surgical treatment. At follow up, complete resolution of IDA was achieved in 96.25%. CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel investigation is a matter of great importance in IDA patients after negative upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.

[Bleeding in digestive tract caused by jejunal angiodysplasia: complementary value of capsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy]. / Hemorragia digestiva oscura por angiodisplasia yeyunal: valor complementario de la cápsula endoscópica y la enteroscopia de doble balón.

We report the case of a 35-year-old male patient, with a history of six months of pallor and dyspnea associated with severe iron deficiency anemia and positive fecal occult blood tests. Endoscopy of the lower and upper gastrointestinal tract, and a small bowel follow-through were performed, but did not reveal the origin of the bledding. Later, a capsule endoscopy study were performed and detected an elevated area - not well defined - with active bleeding in the jejunal portion of the small bowel, for that reason we decided to complement the study with a double balloon enteroscopy, that allowed us to see more clearly the jejunal lesion: an elevated and ulcerated lesion; the area was marked with India ink to guide the surgeon. In the surgical intervention a resection of the involved jejunal segment was performed; the study of pathological anatomy established the diagnosis of jejunal angiodysplasia. We present this case of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding to emphasize the diagnostic utility of capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy.

[Duodenal angiodysplasia: an unusual cause of intestinal obstruction]. / Angiodysplasie duodénale: cause inhabituelle d'occlusion intestinale.

Angiodysplasia is a relatively rare lesion that however may be a major source of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding. It's mostly related to the aging and degeneration of the blood vessels, as it occurs in older adults. Clinical presentation is variable, ranging from asymptomatic cases over iron deficiency anaemia to acute or recurrent bleeding. We present a case of 60 year-old woman presented with anaemia and intestinal obstruction. Diagnosis can usually be made using endoscopy, sometimes with additional biopsy. Treatment can be symptomatic, including iron supplements and transfusion therapy or causal, including therapeutic endoscopy (laser, electrocautery, heater probe or injection sclerotherapy), therapeutic angiography and surgery.

Long-acting octreotide as rescue therapy in chronic bleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Octreotide has shown to be effective against rebleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasias, but a long-term daily parenteral administration is recommended. Long-acting octreotide (LAR-OCT) could overcome such a limitation, but it has not been studied extensively. AIM: To investigate the usefulness of long-acting octreotide in the control of chronic bleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasias. METHODS: Thirteen patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding because of angiodysplasias were enrolled. Diagnosis was made by endoscopy and wireless video capsule. Long-acting octreotide was administered intramuscularly at a dosage of 10 mg/monthly for 1 year. Patients were followed up for a minimum period of 1 year, and haemoglobin levels, blood transfusions, iron supplementation and hospitalizations were recorded 1 year before and after starting long-acting octreotide therapy. RESULTS: Follow-up ranged from 12 to 60 months. Nine of 13 patients (69%) did not need blood transfusions and iron supplementation any longer; a partial improvement was observed in one patient; no effect was found in the others. No side effect was recorded in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Long-acting octreotide for 1 year may be beneficial as a rescue therapy for controlling chronic bleeding from gastrointestinal angiodysplasias in patients not eligible for surgery. Its monthly administration represents an advantage, which makes such a formulation the choice when a long-term treatment is mandatory.

Wireless capsule endoscopy in the diagnostic of small intestine angiodysplasia in chronic uremic patient.

Gastroenteric bleeding due to angiodysplasia (AD) is a relatively common occurrence in patients with end-stage renal failure. Gastric and colon angiodysplasic lesions can be easily revealed by endoscopic procedures, whereas lesions of the small intestine are more difficult to detect. Imaging modalities used in the diagnostic imaging algorithm for the detection of small-bowel AD, include non-invasive methods like enema-helical computer tomography,(99m)Tc-labelled red blood cell scintigraphy, and angiography, and invasive methods such as intraoperative enteroscopy. We report the cases of 3 hemodialysis patients with recurrent episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, caused by small-bowel AD diagnosed by means of wireless-capsule endoscopy. In all cases, previous gastroscopy and colonoscopy were unrevealing. Wireless-capsule endoscopy consists in swallowing a capsule endoscope (11 mmx27 mm) which contains a miniature video camera, a light source, batteries, and a radio transmitter. Video images are transmitted by means of radio telemetry to aerials taped to the body that allow images to be captured. Moving images from a period as long as 6 h are stored on a portable recorder. Wireless-capsule endoscopy may prove valuable in the assessment of gastrointestinal bleeding in uremic patients with unrevealing results at gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

Diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia.

Eighteen patients with gastrointestinal angiodysplasia were seen in a single surgical unit over a period of 8 years. The mean age at onset of symptoms was 33 years. The average duration of symptoms was 54 months (range 2 days-16 years). Three patients had gastric angiodysplasia, two had colonic angiodysplasia, both diagnosed endoscopically preoperatively. The remaining patients required further investigation, which included small bowel enema (SBE), erythrocyte tagged scan (ETC), selective visceral angiography and intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE). SBE was useful but not diagnostic in 3, ETC in 3 and angiography in 5. Four patients required IOE for a diagnosis. Follow up of 17 months is available on all patients. Four had recurrence of symptoms. One required re-exploration and resection of 3 feet of small bowel and right hemicolectomy, another is on hormonal therapy and maintaining normal haemoglobin. Two others are asymptomatic on oral iron therapy.

Angiodisplasias colónicas: metodología diagnóstica y tratamiento / Colonic angiodysplasia: diagnostic and treatment/methods

Objetivo: Se analiza la metodología diagnóstica en pacientes con anomalías vasculares y los tratamientos quirúrgicos en el servicio de Coloproctología del Hospital Británico de Bs. As. entre marzo de 1984 y marzo de 1996. Métodos: Fueron estudiados retrospectivamente 38 pacientes. El porcentaje de estudios de seguimiento fue el siguiente: fibrocolonoscopia 53 por ciento; colon por enema 55 por ciento, centellografía 71 por ciento y angiografía 98 por ciento. El grupo de pacientes sometido a resección quirúrgica tiene un promedio de seguimiento de 3 años (6 meses a 12 años). Resultados: La fibrocolonoscopía y el colon por enema no fueron de ayuda en el diagnóstico. La centellografía y la angiografía tuvieron utilidad en el 100 por ciento de los casos. Ningún paciente presentó un nuevo episodio de sangrado. Conclusión: en nuestra experiencia el centellograma y la angiografía fue de gran utilidad en el diagnóstico del lugar del sangrado y confirmando la anomalía vascular. La cirugía mostró ser un excelente tratamiento.

Angiodisplasias colónicas: metodología diagnóstica y tratamiento / Colonic angiodysplasia: diagnostic and treatment/methods

Objetivo: Se analiza la metodología diagnóstica en pacientes con anomalías vasculares y los tratamientos quirúrgicos en el servicio de Coloproctología del Hospital Británico de Bs. As. entre marzo de 1984 y marzo de 1996. Métodos: Fueron estudiados retrospectivamente 38 pacientes. El porcentaje de estudios de seguimiento fue el siguiente: fibrocolonoscopia 53 por ciento; colon por enema 55 por ciento, centellografía 71 por ciento y angiografía 98 por ciento. El grupo de pacientes sometido a resección quirúrgica tiene un promedio de seguimiento de 3 años (6 meses a 12 años). Resultados: La fibrocolonoscopía y el colon por enema no fueron de ayuda en el diagnóstico. La centellografía y la angiografía tuvieron utilidad en el 100 por ciento de los casos. Ningún paciente presentó un nuevo episodio de sangrado. Conclusión: en nuestra experiencia el centellograma y la angiografía fue de gran utilidad en el diagnóstico del lugar del sangrado y confirmando la anomalía vascular. La cirugía mostró ser un excelente tratamiento. (AU)

Angiodysplasia of the colon in children.

Angiodysplasia of the colon as a cause of lower intestinal bleeding is diagnosed frequently in the elderly, with defined clinical characteristics. In the pediatric population there is little experience; only six cases have been reported. The present study evaluates the clinical, radiological, and surgical aspects of nine children with angiodysplasia of the colon who were treated at the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City between 1970 and 1993. The mean age of clinical onset was 2.3 years. In six patients, symptoms appeared before the first year of life. Lower intestinal bleeding and severe anemia were present in all cases. The diagnosis and localization of the lesions were established by selective visceral angiography. Six patients were treated by operative resection of the affected colonic segments. For four patients with lesions in the rectum and sigmoid, a Swenson pull-through was performed. In one patient the lesion was recurrent because of incomplete resection. Follow-up ranges from 8 months to 4 years; all patients have had normal hemoglobin levels and negative stool results. Unlike in the elderly and the cases reported in the literature, the left hemicolon was the most frequently involved area.