2020 Volume 70 Issue 4 Pages 351-354
A 49-year-old man was referred to our hospital with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Blood tests showed anemia; however, computed tomography did not reveal extravasation into the intestine. Moreover, colonoscopy on admission did not reveal bleeding. However, hematochezia recurred on the 3rd day of hospitalization, and repeat colonoscopy revealed bleeding from the appendiceal orifice. Emergency laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed multiple appendiceal diverticula, which were considered to be the sites of bleeding. Appendiceal diverticular bleeding is rare in patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Until 2019, appendiceal bleeding was reported in 13 cases in Japan. All 14 patients （including the patient described in our report） underwent an uneventful operation. Therefore, surgical intervention is a useful therapeutic approach for appendiceal bleeding.
