Abstract
A case of cavernous hemangioma of the duodenum causing massive bleeding is reported on, with a review of 6 cases seen in the Japanese literature.
A 69-year-old female was admitted to the hospital because of a sudden onset of hematoemesis. An urgent duodenal endoscopy disclosed hemorrhage from anterior wall of the duodenal bulb which was controlled by an endoscopic treatment. The patient was diagnosed as having a duodenal hemangioma by a repeated duodenal endoscopy and selective angiography. A partial resection of the duodenal bulb was performed. The macro-and microscopic examinations of the specimen revealed a cavernous hemangioma.
Hemangiomas of the intestinal tract is rare, representing only 0.3% of al tumors of the intestinal tract, and among them, hemangiomas of the duodenum are extremely rare which represent 2.7% of those of the intestinal tract. This disease demands an operative intervension because of a tendency to massive bleeding. Upon surgery the importance to avoid oversurgery by pre and intraoperative examinations should be emphasized.