A CASE OF RECTAL ANGIODYSPLASIA THAT DISAPPEARED SPONTANEOUSLY AFTER MASSIVE BLEEDING

Abstract

A75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital du.e to massive melena. Althoughcolonoscopic examination perfQrlned on the day of admission could not determine a causativelesion of bleeding because of massive clots of blood, that performed on the following day ofadmission revealed angiodysplasia with a diameter of approximately 10 mm at the rectumbecause no other causative lesions of bleeding wore observed from the terminal ileum to therectum by a careful cololloscopic observation, the diagnosis of rectal bleeding from angiodys-plasia was made. Colonoscopic examination performed on day 6 after admission showed thatthe rectal angiodysplasia became obscure and endoscopic ultrasonography revealed no vascularabnormalities under the angiodysplasia. Fu.rthermore, the rectal angiodysplasia was notobserved any rnore when colonoscopic examination was performed on dad g after admission.Angiodysplasia is one of the most frequently reported causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, specifically in the elderly. This is the first report demonstrating the angiodysplasia thatdisappeared spontaneously after massive bleeding. It has been reported that approximately 5%of cases admitted to hospital due to gastrointestinal bleeding were bleeding from sites notdemonstrated by routine diagnostic methods. This report indicates that a considerable numberof cases in which angiodysplasia disappeared spontaneously after bleeding may be irlvolved ingastrointestinal bleeding with unknown causes.