Angiodysplasia of the colon: a cause of rectal bleeding

Colonic angiodysplasia is a vascular lesion of the colon that may become the source of low grade chronic or intermittently massive rectal bleeding. It is a lesion of the elderly, almost always found in the cecum and the ascending colon. Etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. The diagnosis can be mad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cardiovascular Radiology 1978-01, Vol.1 (1), p.3-13
Main Authors: Athanasoulis, C A, Galdabini, J J, Waltman, A C, Novelline, R A, Greenfield, A J, Ezpeleta, M L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Angiography
Cecal Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Colectomy
Colon - blood supply
Colonic Diseases - complications
Colonic Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Colonic Diseases - surgery
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - etiology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Rectum
Vascular Diseases - complications
Vascular Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Vascular Diseases - pathology
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Summary:Colonic angiodysplasia is a vascular lesion of the colon that may become the source of low grade chronic or intermittently massive rectal bleeding. It is a lesion of the elderly, almost always found in the cecum and the ascending colon. Etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. The diagnosis can be made with angiography based on the demonstration of a vascular tuft and early opacification of draining veins. Right hemicolectomy is the mode of therapy. The lesions are minute, and in resected specimens they can be found only with special vessel injection techniques. Histologically, the lesions represent clusters of dilated vessels, mostly veins, in the mucosa and submucosa of the cecum and ascending colon.
ISSN:0342-7196
1432-086X
DOI:10.1007/bf02551967