A CASE OF MULTIPLE ANGIODYSPLASIA OF THE ASCENDING COLON

Abstract

An 87-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of dizziness and breathless. Examination of blood revealed 5.3g/dl of hemoglobin, indicating serious anemia. There were histories of high blood pressure, chronic renal dysfunction, and gastric ulcer. Colonoscopy performed on the hospital day 7 identified a lesion of bleeding on the ascending colon. Despite endoscopic hemostatis, bleeding persisted. Colonoscopy performed on the hospital day 11 revealed other bleeding lesion on the ascending colon which was situated on the opposite side of the former lesion. Hemostasis was carried out endoscopically again. On the hospital day 13, bleeding started again. We considered that the bleeding could not be controlled by endoscopic procedure, and performed a right hemicolectomy on the 22nd hospital day. Pathological examination revealed 6 lesions of angiodysplasia on the resected colon.
Colorectal angiodysplasia is one of the main causes of massive anal bleeding in elderly people. We report the case together with a review of the literature.