A CASE OF ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION OF THE COLON DIAGNOSED ENDOSCOPICALLY

Abstract

A case of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the colon was reported. A seventy four-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital, complaining of vertigo associated with anemia. No bleeding source could not be detected by barium meal examination, upper GI endoscopy and barium enema. A bleeding from the clusters of dilated tortuous vessels at the transverse colon were finaly found by colonoscopy. AVM was clearly visualized by the superior mesenteric arteriography and confirmed by histological examination of the resected colon. In the Japanese literatures, 41 cases of colonic bleeding due to AVM were reported and 33 cases of them were examined by colonoscopy. AVM of the colon was endoscopically confirmed in 24 of these 33 cases. Colonoscopy was considered to be an important diagnostic investigation of AVM of the colon.